Remember the phrase: “you’ve got to pay me for my pain”? Well, it looks like Chris Rock does. Because that’s reportedly the star’s stance in the aftermath of the now-infamous slap he received at the hands of Will Smith (quite literally) at the 2022 Oscars.
Full story below…
The comedian continued along his current North American tour, with the latest stop being this Friday (April 8) at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California.
After receiving a standing ovation, the palpable hope in the air was that the 57-year-old funnyman would address the slap seen around the world.
Instead, per Desert Sun, Rock told the audience:
“I’m OK, I have a whole show and I’m not talking about that until I get paid. Life is good. I got my hearing back.”
A seasoned veteran with wealth in abundance, it’s little surprise Rock is looking to make coin from the chaos.
Comedy tours like the one he is on now are pretty set in stone, hence why phones are almost always barred so as to not pre-empt the set (which is the same) from city to city.
After a mega-moment like Oscar night, it’s safe to expect that networks and streamers will be in fierce competition to secure Rock for “the” stand-up special addressing the drama.
Time will tell how that plays out.
Rock’s comments come after Smith stepped down from the Academy and was punished with a 10-year-ban from Oscar events– a decision he says he “accepts.”