One moment sticks out as 2022’s most prominent thus far: when Will Smith mounted the Oscars stage to slap comedian Chris Rock. The funnyman was presenting an award for the event and, after making a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hair loss, was slapped across the face by the former ‘Miami’ singer. Now, Rock has complained about being slapped by the “softest” rapper in the world.
The comment came when Rock joined Dave Chappelle, a comedian who has also had difficulty with audience members in recent weeks, for a hilarious set. Chappelle gave a secret show at Los Angeles’ Comedy Store on May 5th, only two days after he was attacked mid-performance at The Hollywood Bowl. The 23-year-old alleged suspect, Isaiah Lee, has now been charged with four counts of a misdemeanour, as he was promptly arrested after the incident.
Per an account in The Hollywood Reporter, Chappelle was joined by Chris Rock only ten minutes into his secret set, performing for an all-star audience that featured everyone from Kim Kardashian to Sean Combs. Both Chappelle and Rock, who was slapped by Will Smith during the Oscars back in March, joked about their attacks. “At least you got smacked by someone of repute!” Chappelle joked. “I got smacked by a homeless guy with leaves in his hair.”
In a devastating response, Rock said: “I got smacked by the softest n**** that ever rapped.” Smith’s career in music isn’t thought of as terribly favourably, but even this barb must’ve stung.
This was the second time that Chris Rock had joined up with David Chappelle in the past week, as he made headlines following the assault at The Hollywood Bowl. On May 3rd, almost immediately after Chappelle was attacked, Rock grabbed the mic and quipped: “Was that Will Smith?”
