It seems as though everyone has been waiting to see if Chris Rock will finally break his silence about the infamous Oscars slap. The time may have finally come.
Almost a year after Will Smith approached Rock on air at the Oscars to slap him, he is ready to share his story. The special will be Netflix’s first live stream. The world will be ready to watch Saturday, March 4th.
In a statement to Page Six, a source details Rock’s planned performance. “If you were waiting to see Chris Rock tackle the infamous Will Smith slapping situation… the comedian is set to tell his own humorous version in his Netflix live special.”
“People need to tune in to every last joke, they won’t be disappointed,” the source continued.
Rock workshopped the material for the special in January. The show, held in an arena in Charleston, also featured Dave Chappelle. He touched on the “slap heard around the world” about a third of the way through his set. “The thing people wanna know … did it hurt? Hell yeah it hurt. He played Muhammad Ali! I played Pookie (in ‘New Jack City’). Even in animated movies, I’m a zebra, he’s a f—ing shark. I got hit so hard, I heard ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears,” Rock joked, according to a source. “Will Smith is a big dude. I am not,” Rock said. “Will Smith is shirtless in his movies. If you see me in a movie getting open heart surgery, I’m gonna have a sweater on” he continued.
Chris Rock’s ‘Selective Outrage’ Special
The name, Selective Outrage, comes straight from Rock’s mind. It’s a phrase the comedian has used repeatedly on recent shows when describing the slap.
“Chris Rock: Selective Outrage” will stream live on Netflix at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, a week before this year’s Academy Awards.