Chris Rock Asked to Host Oscars Again After Controversial Slap

Hopefully this time Chris Rock won’t face any nasty surprises

Comedian Chris Rock has stated that he was asked to host the 2023 Academy Awards next year after actor Will Smith slapped him on stage while he was presenting an award at the ceremony in March. 

Rock revealed the news to his audience during his August 28th stand-up show in Phoenix, Arizona. He also announced that he had been asked to do a Super Bowl commercial but that he had turned both opportunities down. He did not reveal which brand had asked for him to front the commercial. 

According to The Arizona Republic, Rock compared returning to host the Oscars to ‘returning to the scene of the crime’ and also told the crowd that the slap from Smith ‘hurt.’ Aside from briefly mentioning the slap during his stand-up shows, the comedian has noticeably kept quiet about the controversial incident. 

Chris Rock © Getty Images

Will Smith famously slapped Rock on stage during the Oscars earlier this year after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife’s hair. Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from hair loss due to alopecia, an autoimmune condition that can cause hair loss and, as a result, maintains a shaved head.

Smith apologized for his actions during his acceptance speech after winning Best Actor for his performance in King Richard. The following day, he apologized to Rock via an Instagram post. 

The actor later addressed the incident and answered fans’ questions in late July, through an Instagram video. He also reiterated his apology to Rock. He stated, “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 behavior was unacceptable and I am here whenever you’re ready to talk.”

Soon after the incident, Smith resigned from the Academy and was banned from the award show for the next 10 years. 

According to sources, the two men have not yet spoken.