It’s been four months since Chris Rock was shockingly slapped across the face at the 94th Annual Oscar Awards, but the 57-year-old comic is finally ready to talk about it.
After Will Smith got physical with Rock for cracking a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith on the Oscars stage back in March, the Grown Ups The star remained publicly tight-lipped about the incident—until now.
While performing at a comedy show at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey on Sunday, July 24, Rock finally addressed the slap with some humor, telling the audience, per Us Weekly: “Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face.”
However, he also insisted that he never let the notorious incident bring him down, stating, “I’m not a victim. Yeah that sh*t hurt, motherf*cker. But I shook that sh*t off and went back the next day. I don’t go to the hospital for a paper cut.”
Rock’s decision to mention the slap likely comes as a shock, as he previously claimed he wouldn’t be mentioning the altercation during his comedy shows. “I’m OK, I have a whole show and I’m not talking about that until I get paid. Life is good. I got my hearing back,” he joked in April, per Deadline.
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In case you missed it, Rock received an unexpected slap from Smith to the side of the face after suggesting Pinkett-Smith’s short haircut, which is a result of her battle with alopecia, was her attempt at landing a role in a GI Jane sequel.
Smith—who has since been banned from participating in the Oscars for 10 years—later apologized for the incident and resigned from the Academy.
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