Chris Rock Greeted With Long Standing Ovation At First Show After Oscars Slap, Briefly References Incident
Chris Rock made his first public appearance three days after being attacked by Will Smith at the Oscars, during the opening gig of his Ego Death World Tour in Boston, and broke his silence over the incident.
Will Smith might face “suspension or expulsion” from the Academy; despite organizers’ requests, the actor refused to leave the Oscars after slapping Chris Rock.
Rock was greeted by the sold-out crowd at the packed Wilbur theater with a standing ovation that lasted 2-3 minutes as supporters got up, sat down, and then stood up again to acclaim him when he took the stage at 8 p.m. ET.
Chris Rock made his first public appearance three days after being attacked by Will Smith at the Oscars, during the opening gig of his Ego Death World Tour in Boston, and broke his silence over the incident.
Will Smith might face “suspension or expulsion” from the Academy; despite organizers’ requests, the actor refused to leave the Oscars after slapping Chris Rock.
Rock was greeted by the sold-out crowd at the packed Wilbur theater with a standing ovation that lasted 2-3 minutes as supporters got up, sat down, and then stood up again to acclaim him when he took the stage at 8 p.m. ET.
Chris Rock’s “Four White Guys” joke at the Oscar presentation was slammed by the producer of “Summer Of Soul.”
At the outset of his set, he did not directly address the incident, instead asking the audience, “How was your weekend?” He told the crowd that he was “going to tell some jokes” and that he was “still somewhat processing what happened,” and that “at some point” he would talk about “that sh*t,” and that “it will be serious, and it will be funny,” before segueing to his act as an audience member yelled “F*ck Will Smith!”
Mike Fleming, Jr., who is at the theater, will give us a thorough account of Rock’s performance later tonight.
Oscar nominee (and eventual winner) Smith rushed on stage and slapped presenter Rock when the comedian aimed a joke at Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, in one of the most startling events in Academy Awards history.
Smith addressed the incident in his Best Actor winning speech, in which he apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees but did not apologize to Rock. On Monday, Smith issued a written apology to Rock on Instagram, while Rock stayed mute until tonight.
Sidesteps by Chris Rock The First Stand-Up Show Since Will Smith’s Slap Involves Oscar Controversy
In an unusual turn of events, the Academy’s Board of Governors organized an emergency meeting soon before Rock took the stage in Boston to address Smith’s status in the organization in the aftermath of the incident. Smith faces suspension, expulsion, or other punishment, according to the Board, which will be resolved at the Board’s next meeting on April 18.
After the slap, demand for Rock’s comedy tour has soared, with his initial shows rapidly selling out following the Oscars. Ticket prices for his first two gigs at The Wilbur theater in Downtown Boston have risen to $1,000 each due to the markup. Rock will perform in Boston till Friday, after which he will travel to Atlantic City.
The street in front of Wilbur Theater is shown below, with throngs – and the media — gathered for Rock’s opening night.
Source: deadline.com