London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 07, 2026

Chris Rock addresses Will Smith Oscars slap during Netflix special

Chris Rock addresses Will Smith Oscars slap during Netflix special

Rock, 58, spoke about the incident in his Netflix special Selective Outrage
Chris Rock has broken his silence on what it was like to be slapped by Will Smith at the Oscars.

Smith sparked controversy after storming the stage at the 94th Academy Awards and slapping comedian Rock over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Rock, 58, addressed the incident in his new Netflix special Selective Outrage, his live show from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore in the US which is now available on the streaming service.

"You know what people say, they say, ‘words hurt,’" Rock said. "Anybody that say words hurt has never been punched in the face."

The comedian went on to tackle a number of topics including woke culture, Meghan Markle and politics.

“I’m going to try to do the show without offending anyone," Rock said, in a reference to the Smith altercation. "Because you never know who might get triggered."

He went into more detail about the incident during the final segment of the show.

"People are like, ‘Did it hurt?’ It still hurts! I got Summertime ringing in my ears," Rock said, referring to Smith’s 1991 single.

"I took that hit like (Manny) Pacquiao," Rock boasted to cheers from the crowd.

Rock said he believes Smith practices "selective outrage" and that the slap had more to do with Smith and his wife’s relationship struggles than the actual joke.

The couple have been open about their relationship problems and have addressed infidelity within their marriage during public interviews.

"We’ve all been cheated on, everybody in here been cheated on, none of us have ever been interviewed by the person that cheated on us on television," Rock joked.

"She hurt him way more than he hurt me."

Rock ended the special by addressing why he chose not to fight back.

"I got parents! Because I was raised!" Rock said. "And you know what my parents taught me? Don’t fight in front of white people."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Met Office Issues Heatwave Alerts for London and Southern England
Keir Starmer Blocks Earlier World Cup Kick-Off Time for England Match Against Mexico
NHS Digital Transformation and Media Consolidation Highlight UK Policy Priorities
UK Government Pushes Digital Trade Rules to Cut Export Costs for Businesses
Bank of England Plans Leverage Rule Changes to Support Government Bond Market
UK Police Operation Targets Organised Immigration Crime Networks With Hundreds of Arrests
Yvette Cooper Calls for Global AI Rules to Prevent Security Risks
NHS Begins Major AI Expansion Through £10 Billion Digital Investment Programme
UK Government Tightens Rules on Political Donations to Limit Foreign Influence
Keir Starmer Defends UK Defence Spending Plan at NATO Summit in Turkey
Comcast’s Sky Agrees £1.6 Billion Deal to Acquire ITV Media and Entertainment Division
Senior NHS Doctors Vote in Favour of Renewed Strike Action Over Pay Dispute
Andy Burnham Set to Succeed Keir Starmer as Labour Leadership Nominations Open
Microsoft Lays Off 4,800 Employees and Xbox Suffers the Hardest Blow
Deep Purple Has Released Its Best Album in Decades
Office for National Statistics Updates Historical Investment Data Review to Improve Accuracy
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Highlights Economic Gains From Digital Inclusion
Debate Intensifies Over UK Defence Strategy and Domestic Security Priorities
Report Warns Full Transport Accessibility Could Add £176 Billion to UK Economy Annually
Medicines Regulator Approves First Targeted Treatment for Advanced Merkel Cell Skin Cancer
Government Commits £22 Million to Brighton Seafront Infrastructure Renewal and Transport Safety
National Security Bill Returns to House of Commons Amid Calls to Protect Humanitarian Work
Government Tightens Overseas Political Donation Rules to Strengthen Safeguards Against Foreign Influence
NHS Maternity Reform Expands Central Oversight After Critical National Review
Dover Border Warnings Highlight Post-Brexit Pressure on Cross-Channel Trade
Private Nuclear Consortium Advances £35 Billion Small Reactor Strategy in UK
UK Labour Leadership Signals Shift Toward Reindustrialisation and Regional Power
House of Lords Debates Rail Nationalisation Bill to Create Great British Railways
Scottish Affairs Committee Expands Inquiry Into SNP Financial Conduct
Evri Launches £1.2 Million Defamation Case Against BBC Over Panorama Investigation
Port of Dover Warns of Border Delays as EU Entry-Exit System Looms
Nigel Farage Referred to Standards Watchdog Over Alleged Undeclared Benefits
UK Government Faces Scrutiny Over Claimed AI Datacentre Investment After FOI Findings
UK and India Finalise Trade Agreement Rules Ahead of Mid-July Implementation
UK Government Establishes National Maternity Commissioner After Major Review of NHS Care Failures
Private Consortium Plans £35 Billion UK Nuclear Programme Targeting Small Modular Reactor Rollout
Andy Burnham Sets Out Ten-Year Reindustrialisation and Devolution Plan as Leadership Transition to UK Premiership Advances
Morocco and France Advance as 2026 FIFA World Cup Enters Quarterfinals.
Historic 2026 Tour de France Opens in Barcelona With Revamped Team Time Trial.
Global Mergers and Acquisitions Approach $4 Trillion Defying Geopolitical Tumult.
Negotiators Advance 20-Point Framework for Gaza Ceasefire and Demilitarization.
OECD Warns Middle East Conflict Will Depress Global Economic Growth.
Ukrainian Drones Strike Major Oil Terminal in St. Petersburg.
World Meteorological Organization Issues Urgent Alert Over Rapidly Intensifying El Niño.
United States Commemorates 250th Anniversary With Diplomatic Summits and Global Flotilla.
Iran Begins Days-Long Funeral for Supreme Leader Khamenei Amid Strait of Hormuz Standoff.
Technology giant reports surging carbon emissions driven by artificial intelligence infrastructure demands.
Artificial intelligence adoption accelerates workforce reductions across the technology and financial sectors.
Global technology and financial conglomerates collaborate to launch a new stablecoin standard.
United States regulators lift export restrictions on a major frontier artificial intelligence model.
×