Comedian Chris Rock is not talking about being slapped by actor Will Smith at this year’s Oscars just yet, telling fans at one of his shows on Friday that he won’t address it until he gets “paid.”
“I’m okay, I have a whole show, and I’m not talking about that until I get paid. Life is good. I got my hearing back,” Rock said Friday night during a show at Fantasy Springs in Indio, California, according to a report by the Desert Sun.
Instead, Rock reportedly made jokes about Hillary Clinton’s failures at being elected president in 2008 and 2016, the Kardashian family and how they “love black people so much, they take anyone in,” and Meghan Markle’s accusations of racism in the British royal family.
The comedian also poked fun at woke corporations and people in general feeling scared of offending anyone for any reason.
Cell phones were not allowed in the building, and attendees were given a locking pouch for their mobile devices, the Desert Sun reported.
The comedy show comes as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences banned Will Smith from attending the Academy Awards or any Academy events for 10 years.
The move came just 12 days after Smith assaulted Rock during the live broadcast of the 94th Oscars over a joke the comedian made at the expense of his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Following the attack, Rock’s comedy tour saw a surge in ticket sales, which also caused ticket prices to rise since the night of the Oscars, going up from a minimum of $46 per ticket on March 18 to a minimum of $341.
A sign outside The Laugh Factory comedy club in support of comedian Chris Rock reads Laugh Factory supports First Amendment right for all comedians” in Hollywood, California on March 29, 2022. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)
During his March 30 show at The Wilbur in Boston, Massachusetts, the audience gave him a standing ovation while yelling “fuck Will Smith.”
In leaked audio from the standup show, Rock said that he is still “processing” the moment that Smith stormed the stage during the Oscars and slapped him.
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