It was the slap heard around the world — but the world won’t get to hear one of Chris Rock’s jokes about it.
A joke about Will Smith in Rock’s Netflix special “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage” was edited out after the comedian messed it up during the live show.
Rock, 58, was joking about Smith, 54, and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, 51, toward the end of his March 4 show, specifically discussing a conversation he claims to have had with them about his hosting gig for the 2016 Oscars when he botched the joke.
“Years ago, his wife said I should quit the Oscars; I shouldn’t host ’cause her man didn’t get nominated for ‘Emancipation,’ the biggest piece of s–t ever!” Rock said during Netflix’s first-ever global live-streaming event. “No, not ‘Emancipation,’ I f–ked up the joke.”
Will Smith slaps Chris Rock onstage during the 2022 Oscars.ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty ImagesThe comedian meant to refer to the 2015 sports drama “Concussion,” a film based on the true story of neuropathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu, played by Smith, who was the first to discover CTE, a football-related brain trauma.
Rock went on and continued the joke correctly: “She started this s–t. She said that me, a f–king grown-ass man, should quit his job because, ‘My husband didn’t get nominated for ‘Concussion.””
This part of the special has now been edited out, and a source told The Hollywood Reporter that Rock is aware of the edit and worked with Netflix on the final cut that is now available to people streaming.
Chris Rock was discussing a conversation he claims to have had with them about his hosting gig for the 2016 Oscars when he botched the joke.Kirill Bichutsky/Netflix via AP
A joke about Will Smith in Rock’s Netflix special “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage” was edited out after the comedian messed it up during the live show.Kirill Bichutsky/Netflix © 2023The 2016 Oscars was the same year that Pinkett Smith boycotted the ceremony for the #OscarsSoWhite movement, which protested the Academy’s history of lack of diversity.
Last year, Smith slapped Rock after the comedian made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s hair — which Smith took as a jab at his wife’s struggle with alopecia. The tone-deaf comment inspired the actor to hustle up to the Los Angeles Dolby Theatre stage and smack Rock in the face.
Meanwhile, it was reported that Smith was left “embarrassed and hurt” over Rock’s comments made in the special.
Chris Rock was joking about Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith toward the end of his March 4 show.Kirill Bichutsky/Netflix via AP“Will is embarrassed and hurt by what Chris said about him and his family in his Netflix special,” a source told Entertainment Tonight. “He didn’t watch it, but he had people tell him what Chris said,” the insider went on, adding that “Will and Jada have seen comments about it.”
“Will apologized to Chris and would like for Chris to let it go,” the source added.
Smith reportedly feels Netflix made a “distasteful” move airing Rock’s special.
