Chris Rock jokingly admits he watched 'Emancipation' to see Will Smith get "whipped"

Things may never be the same between Chris Rock and Will Smith. As previously reported by REVOLT, the veteran actors had a very public falling out at the 2022 Oscars after the Madagascar star made an offensive joke aimed at Jada Pinkett Smith and received a televised slap from “The Fresh Prince.”

Though Smith has since issued several apologies, Rock doesn’t appear quite ready to call a truce. As the “Everybody Hates Chris” funnyman gears up for his new Netflix special, he’s been testing his material out with audiences. Yesterday (March 2), Decider reported that Rock recently checked out Smith’s latest blockbuster — but not for the reasons many of us would have assumed. “The other day, I watched Emancipation just so I could watch him getting whipped,” sources say the 58-year-old told the crowd at a show at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore on Feb. 17. The 2022 film sees Smith as a slave named Peter in Louisiana.

Rock has made light of the situation on stages since the March 27, 2022 slap, but has yet to release a formal statement. It’s been heavily rumored that he will save most of his thoughts for his upcoming Netflix special, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, streaming live on the platform this Saturday (March 4). Even the title seems to be inspired by his former friend. “Will Smith practices selective outrage. People who are in the know, know that s**t had nothing to do with me,” Rock said at his Baltimore appearance. The joke that led to the assault was a dig at Pinkett Smith’s lack of hair, comparing her to the fictional (and bald) G.I. Jane character. The actress suffers from alopecia and although she’d publicly discussed the health issue on several occasions before the awards show, Rock claimed he was unaware.

In July 2022, Smith posted a nearly six-minute YouTube video attempting to make amends for his actions. “I’ve reached out to Chris, and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk. And when he is, he will reach out. So I will say to you, Chris: I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable, and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk,” the Bad Boys for Life entertainer shared. He also acknowledged the pain he brought to Rock’s family: “I want to apologize to Chris’ mother. I saw an interview that Chris’ mother did. And that was one of the things about that moment. I didn’t realize and wasn’t thinking about how many people got hurt in that moment.” We hope the two comedic greats can resolve their issues and possibly work together again in the future.

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