Chris Rock will respond in the only way he knows how: on stage.
According to Netflix, the iconic comic will deliver a live standup special on March 4th, where he will address Will Smith slapping him at the Oscars.
While Rock has made passing references to the incident in his stand-up routines over the past year, he will discuss it in greater detail for the first time.
The Wall Street Journal broke the story first.
Rock worked on the material for the special during a January arena gig in Charleston when he shared the bill with Dave Chappelle. According to a source in attendance who talked with CNN, he addressed the now-famous scene with Smith around a third of the way through his set, clad entirely in white.
Rock made several jokes at the Oscars event and discussed the general outrage.
“All people want to know is… did it hurt? Yes, it was painful. He was Muhammad Ali! In ‘New Jack City,’ I played Pookie. Even in cartoons, I’m a zebra, and he’s a f—ing shark. “I was smacked so hard that ‘Summertime’ rang in my ears,” Rock laughed, according to the source.
In another passage, Rock mentioned the size contrast between the two men.
“Will Smith is a giant. “I am not,” Rock clarified. “In his films, Will Smith appears shirtless. If you see me in a movie having open heart surgery, I’ll be wearing a sweater.”
“Chris Rock: Selective Outrage” will air live on Netflix on Saturday at 10 p.m. ET from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, a week before the Oscar Awards.
