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Chris Rock is finally talking about the slap.
With his new Netflix special on the way, the comedian has been workshopping jokes for the set, including directly addressing for the first time being slapped by Will Smith.
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According to The Wall Street Journal, Rock made reference to the slap during a gig in Charleston.
“The thing people want to know . . . did it hurt? Hell yeah, it hurt,” he said, adding, “He played Muhammad Ali! I played Pookie!” in reference to Smith’s role in “Ali” and his own in “New Jack City”.
The Sun also reported that Rock continued, “Even in animated movies, I’m a zebra, he’s a f**king shark.”
Referencing one of Smith’s rap songs, Rock joked, “I got hit so hard I heard ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”
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Since the incident last year, in which Smith got onstage and slapped the Oscars host live during the broadcast over a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, Rock has remained mostly silent about it.
In July, Smith offered a public apology, including to Rock, for his actions.
“I made a choice on my own from my own experiences, from my history with Chris,” he said. “I want to say sorry to my kids and my family for the heat that I’ve brought on all of us. I’ve reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk, and when he is he will reach out. So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behaviour was unacceptable, and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”