Chris Rock spotted for first time following Will Smith Oscars slap
Chris Rock was seen in Boston ahead of his highly anticipated comedy show following the Oscars drama between him and Will Smith.
Comedian and actor Chris Rock dressed in all white to kick off his Wednesday night show after a thunderous three-minute standing ovation at his first standup show since Will Smith slapped his face at the Oscars Sunday night.
"Let me do a show, y'all!" Rock yelled at the beginning of his set. "Y'all got me all misty and s---"
Comedian Rick Ingram opened the show, and Rock came out to a booming crowd.
"How was your weekend?" Rock asked the sold-out crowd at the Wilbur, a theater of 1,200 seats in Boston. "I had a whole list of jokes. I had a whole show I wrote before this weekend, and I'm still kind of processing what happened."
"At some point I'll talk about that s---, and it will be serious, and it will be funny," Rock continued.
Chris Rock, center, arrives at the Wilbur Theater before a performance, Wednesday, March 30, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Audience members yelled, "F--- Will Smith!" during Rock's opening statements.
After his initial comments, Rock continued with his planned show.
Since the shocking incident at the Oscars, sales for "Chris Rock Ego Death World Tour 2022" have skyrocketed, soaring to over $1000 per ticket. Meanwhile, the sold-out shows saw tickets reselling for more than $800.
Outside the Wilbur Theater in Boston, MA. (Fox News)
Wednesday night marks the first time Rock spoke publicly on the issue.
Smith charged the stage and slapped Rock after the Oscars host joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head, referencing "G.I. Jane." Pinkett Smith has been open about her struggle with alopecia.
"I had a whole show I wrote before this weekend, and I'm still kind of processing what happened."
"Jada, ‘GI Jane 2,’ I can’t wait to see it," Rock said on stage in front of the Oscars audience, including to Pinkett Smitt who didn't seem happy.
CHRIS ROCK SPOTTED FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE NIGHT OF WILL SMITH'S OSCARS SLAP
Her husband shot up on stage and open-palm slapped Rock in the face before returning to his seat.
Comedian and actor Chris Rock dressed in all white kicked off his Wednesday night show after a thunderous three-minute standing ovation at his first standup show since Will Smith slapped his face at the Oscars Sunday night. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)
"Wow, Will Smith just smacked the s--- out of me," a shocked Rock said. Smith then returned to his seat and said, "Keep my wife’s name out of your f---ing mouth."
Will Smith yells at Chris Rock from his seat at the Oscar's after physically assaulting him on stage on Sunday, March 27, 2022. (Screenshot/ABC)
Fifteen minutes after the altercation, Smith apologized to the Academy and his fellow stars while accepting his award for best actor for his role in the movie "King Richard." The movie tells the story of Serena and Venus Williams.
"I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees," he said in a tearful acceptance speech. "This is a beautiful moment."
"Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family," Smith continued. "In this time in my life, in this moment, I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do."
He added that "love makes you do crazy things," seemingly offering an explanation as to why he slapped Rock — whom he stopped short of apologizing to directly until the next day.
Hours after he was spotted partying with his Oscar trophy and singing along to his own music, Smith shared a post to Instagram saying, "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris."
"I was out of line, and I was wrong," he wrote. "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."
He noted that, "Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally."
The Academy released a statement shortly after the incident occurred, stating that it does not "condone violence of any form."
Will Smith accepting best actor award. (AP/Chris Pizzello, File)
The Academy then released a second statement.
"The Academy condemns the actions of Mr Smith at last night’s show," it read. "We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law."
Since the incident at the Oscars, Hollywood stars have expressed their support, including Adam Sandler. Sandler has starred alongside Rock in multiple projects, including "Saturday Night Live" in the '90s.
Sandler tweeted a promo for Rock's tour along with the caption, "Can't wait for this. Love you buddy!"
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On Wednesday, the Academy said it has launched "disciplinary proceedings" against Smith and also claimed they asked him to leave, but he refused.
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