Chris Rock shuts down fan who shouts ‘F**k Will Smith!’ during comedian’s latest show

View
comments

Chris Rock stopped his fans from cursing out Will Smith during his comedy show in Boston on Thursday night.

‘F**k Will Smith!’ a fan shouted, likely in an attempt to show support for Rock after Smith slapped him onstage during the Academy Awards last Sunday. 

‘No, no, no, no, no…’ the comedian replied, according to People, putting an end to the verbal attacks. 

The night before, during his first public appearance since the Oscars slap, Rock was also met with ‘Will Smith’ chants from the audience, however he did not engage with them.

The comedian did briefly address the slap during the show, noting that he still needs time to ‘process’ the assault.

He also told the crowd: ‘I haven’t talked to anyone, despite what you heard,’ referencing rumors that Rock and Smith had made amends.

The comic, 57, took to the stage at the Wilbur Theatre on Wednesday and asked: ‘How was your weekend?’ 

The rhetorical question got a big laugh from the crowd, which occasionally heckled the Emmy-winning comedian about Will Smith’s on-screen strike. But Rock warned those at the sold-out venue that the show would go on as planned.

‘I don’t have like a bunch of s*** to say about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I had like a whole show I wrote before… this weekend…’ he said to more laughs. ‘And I’m still kind of processing what happened.

‘So at some time I’ll talk about that s***… and it’ll be serious. It’ll be funny,’ he said before an audience member shouted, ‘F*** Will!’

‘I’m gonna tell some jokes,’ Rock concluded, later revealing that he hasn’t spoken to ‘anyone’ since the incident, alluding to reports that he and Smith have reconciled. 

But some of the 3,000 fans in the audience – who paid up to $1,000 per ticket – are disappointed that the stand-up comedian avoided the topic on everyone’s mind.

‘We want our money back, I didn’t pay $400 to see nothing,’ one person told Fox News.

The 53-year-old actor marched onto the Oscars stage on Sunday and hit Rock, after the comedian told a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Rock’s wisecrack was targeted at Pinkett Smith’s buzzcut, a style she has embraced in wake of her alopecia diagnosis.

‘Jada, I love you. “G.I. Jane 2,” can’t wait to see it,’ Rock said to Pinkett Smith, whose close-shaven head looked similar to Demi Moore’s in the 1997 movie, during his presentation of the award for best documentary. 

Whether Rock was aware that Pinkett Smith suffered from a hair-loss condition is unknown, but Smith reacted with the smack and an angry warning ‘to keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth!’

Shortly after, Smith was announced as the winner of the best actor award and went up to collect his statuette to a standing ovation from many of his peers.

In his acceptance speech, Smith apologized to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – whose members vote for the awards, and who stages the ceremony – but stopped short of apologizing to Rock.

Smith initially laughed off the attack, writing on Instagram on Sunday evening: ‘You can’t invite people from Philly or Baltimore nowhere!!’

Yet as the gravity of the situation became clear, Smith then posted a public apology to Instagram 24 hours after the ceremony, saying he wanted to say sorry formally to Rock. He said his behavior was ‘unacceptable and inexcusable’ and left him ’embarrassed’.

‘I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,’ he wrote. ‘I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be.  There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.’ 

Pinkett Smith’s first public comment came in an Instagram post Tuesday in which she said: ‘This is a season for healing and I’m here for it.’  

Oscars producer Will Packer revealed Thursday in a preview clip for his upcoming interview with Good Morning America that the LAPD were prepared to arrest Smith during the ceremony Sunday, but didn’t at Rock’s request. 

‘We will go get him, we are prepared to get him right now,’ the cops said to Rock, Packer recalled. ‘You can press charges. We can arrest him.’ 

Packer claimed Rock was dismissive towards police, but he encouraged the comedian to hear them out before making a decision. 

‘They were laying out the options, and as they were talking, Chris was being very dismissive of those options. He was like, “No, I’m fine.” He was like, “No, no, no,”‘ the producer said.

Ultimately, Rock declined to press charges, however police said in a statement Sunday ‘if the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.’

However, Smith – who was presented with his first Academy Award after the onstage attack – will face ‘disciplinary proceedings’ with Oscars officials that could result in suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions. 

‘Consistent with the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, as well as California law, Mr. Smith is being provided at least 15 days’ notice of a vote regarding his violations and sanctions, and the opportunity to be heard beforehand by means of a written response,’ the Academy said in a statement Wednesday.

A source close to the actor confirmed to The Sun that Smith and his lawyers are writing to the Academy to plead his case ahead of his upcoming hearing on April 18.

‘Things are hanging in the balance. He will write an official letter to apologize, and effectively beg for their forgiveness,’ the source said. 

‘He is also expected to hold a call with show bosses in the next 24 hours. April 18 is D-Day, though — he will find out if he still has an Oscar, and quite possibly, a career.’ 

Smith met with Oscars leaders on Tuesday to discuss the fallout from the attack, Variety reported. People familiar with the meeting claim Rubin and Hudson talked to Smith on Zoom  for roughly 30 minutes.

One source alleged Smith apologized to the Academy leaders for his actions and expressed he was aware that there would be consequences. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum also attempted to justify why he snapped at Rock’s joke towards his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, the insider claimed.

However, attendees at Wednesday’s emergency meeting of the Academy’s Board of Governors told the magazine they did not recall Rubin or Hudson mentioning the alleged discussion with Smith. 

Following the emergency board meeting, the Academy announced Smith had violated the group’s code of conduct and faced ‘suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions.’

The disciplinary actions could include a possible year-long ban from the Oscars, which would prevent Smith from being nominated for awards. 

‘They really feel they have to be seen to act,’ an insider said of the Academy, according to The Sun. ‘It’s no wonder Will is seeking legal advice — he’s likely to need all the help he can get to avoid sanctions.’

Sources familiar with the situation also claim the fate of his upcoming projects, including the Apple-funded slave escape drama Emancipation, remains in question.

‘Production executives and studio chiefs do not want to be seen picking a side too early,’ the insider said, noting that Smith is expected to return for a fourth installment of the Bad Boys franchise although no start date has been set yet.