Chris Rock Was Asked If He'd Host The Oscars Again & He Compared It To A Crime Scene
Chris Rock isn't quite over that infamous Oscar moment when Will Smith slapped him on stage, and it sounds like he's not looking to host the Academy Awards anytime soon.
The comedian recently addressed the Oscars slap during a show in Arizona, where he told the audience that he was asked to come back and host the Oscars in 2023, reported the Arizona Republic newspaper.
Rock told the audience that he said no. He then went on to compare it to the O.J. Simpson trial, and suggested it would be like Simpson's late wife returning to the scene of a crime.
The comedian also confessed that he turned down a Super Bowl ad opportunity following the slap.
Rock hosted the Oscars in 2005 and 2016, but it seems like the Academy will have a tough time getting him to do it again.
Rock and Smith combined for one of the most jaw-dropping moments in Oscar history last March. Rock was introducing an award when he cracked a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head.
"Jada, I love ya!" Rock said. "G.I. Jane 2, can't wait to see it."
That prompted Will Smith to storm the stage and clock Rock in the face during the live broadcast.
After the punch, Smith went back to his seat and yelled ""Keep my wife's name out your f*cking mouth!"
Smith has apologized multiple times in public since that incident.
In his most recent apology, Smith recorded a Q&A with himself and tried to explain why he did what he did. He also said that Rock is "not ready to talk," and that "when he is, he will reach out."
The Academy voted to ban Smith for 10 years over the slap, which came less than an hour before he won the Oscar for Best Actor.
Rock has only ever joked about the slap during stand-up appearances, and he hasn't fully addressed it in a statement or a sit-down interview. He also declined to press charges against Smith.
It's unclear if he'll attend the 2023 Oscars or not, but at least he knows that Smith won't be in the audience with him.
