In 2022, Will Smith and Chris Rock were caught in a controversy after their viral slap scene during the Oscars. Although it may seem like the two had some bad history, they have known each other for over three decades already.
Will Smith is known for his role in popular movies like “The Pursuit of Happyness” and “I Am Legend.” He is regarded to be one of the most, if not, the “Best” actor of this generation. Aside from being such a great actor, he is also known for his ground-breaking achievement in his musical career.
On the other hand, Chris Rock is regarded as one of today’s most well-known comedians. With him winning a total of three Grammy Awards for best comedy album and an Emmy Awards nomination, there is no doubt why he is so famous around the globe.
With these two stars being part of the same industry, it was already no surprise that they were friends for years. However, it seems like their friendship has been confronted by the biggest challenge yet.
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Almost everyone in the world who has access to the internet was stunned when Smith stormed the Oscars stage and slapped Rock across his face with millions watching. After the loud silence made by the crowd, the supposedly amazing Oscar night became controversial.
According to reports, Smith decided to do such a thing after Rock joked about his wife, Jada. However, what made the whole incident even more interesting is that it all happened before Smith took his award as “Best Actor” for his role in the movie, “KingRichard.”
With that said, fans then started to speculate that maybe the incident was just an Oscar stunt to catch everyone’s attention. However, it seems like it wasn’t the case at all. Now, everyone is wondering what the incident’s aftermath was to Smith and Rock’s friendship.
So if you want to know more about their relationship timeline, from their first work collaboration to what has become of their friendship in 2023, then scroll down, as we already have everything covered for you.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Collaboration: 1995
It may surprise many when they find out that Rock and Smith have known each other since the 1990s. The two have collaborated in shows like “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which they did such an amazing job. The episode in which the two were included was one of the most watched of the show to this day.
The Chris Rock Show: 1997
Rock and Jada Pinkett Smith also had some friendly interactions before. Jada and Rock were seen joking around during one episode of the HBO “The Chris Rock Show” in 1997. There were no signs of awkwardness between the two, with Jada happily bouncing off from Rock’s jokes.
So it surprised many that their seemingly great friendship crumbled to pieces with just one controversial slap.
Torrance Rises Collaboration: 1999
Torrance Rises might be one of Smith and Rock’s notable collaborations. They both appeared in the Spike Jonze-directed mockumentary in 1999, a short film centered around the Torrance Community Dance Group.
Before their performance on the show, the two were seen happily enjoying each other’s company at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. It just shows that they indeed had some good history together.
Nickelodeon “Kids Choice Award”: 2005
Here's Chris Rock hanging out with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith backstage.
— The Jídé Taiwo (@thejidetaiwo) March 28, 2022
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(Nickelodeon Awards in 2005) pic.twitter.com/Rh4vM9xaxB
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For the 2005 Nickelodeon “Kids Choice Award,” the two were seen having a light and kid-appropriate interaction with each other. Rock even presented Smith’s prize for winning the “Favorite Voice Nomination” for his voice-acting in the animated movie Shark Tale.
Since then, the two have been frequently seen having such a wholesome interaction while attending award shows.
Voice Behind Madagascar: 2005
Aside from Smith, his wife Jada had also collaborated with Rock for the animated hit movie Madagascar in 2005 and its sequels in 2008 and 2012. During the movie’s promotions, Jada and Rock’s friendship was relatively in a great place, so no one expected their relationship to hit rock bottom in the future.
Chris Rock’s Jokes Toward Jada Pinkett Smith: 2016
Jada, a woman of color, stood up during the height of the #OscarsSoWhite movement. She is one of the many stars that decided to boycott the Oscars for its lack of diversity among its nominees.
Amid the controversy, Rock decided to spit some offensive joke towards Jada, which made Jada furious, along with everyone else who was against the Oscars that year. As per Rock’s joke, he implies that Jada wasn’t invited to the show in the first place, which Jada clearly stated she was not coming at all.
Rock then continued by stating, “Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited!”. However, it seems like dragging Rihanna’s name into his joke isn’t revolting enough; Rock then continues by dissing Will Smith as well.
His insulting jokes have somehow made headlines worldwide, causing Rock to receive so much backlash from almost everyone.
Chris Rock’s Comments On Jada’s Condition: 2021
It seems like Rock hasn’t had enough of making jokes related to the Smiths.
In 2018, Jada shared that she had been diagnosed with a condition called “Alopecia,” causing her hair to fall out continuously. Since her condition has worsened through the years, Jada has decided to shave her hair off totally to somehow make it easier for her to cope.
Many people have sympathized with the pain she must have gone through. However, it seems like Rock has found this as an opportunity for him to make yet another offensive joke toward the Smiths.
No one anticipated that Rock would use this as a joke for his Oscar hosting in 2022, eventually leading to his friendship with the Smiths crumbling.
The Slap That the Entire World Heard: 2022
Now, this is the part where things between Rock and the Smiths changed for good.
Before introducing the nominees for the “Best Documentary,” Rock made a joke about Jada’s shaved hair. Although it seemed like a friendly interaction at first, Smith was not happy at all.
As Rock continued to comment on Jada’s condition, Smith couldn’t take it anymore, so he decided to storm the Oscars stage and slap the comedian right in front of millions of people watching live on television.
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The whole incident shocked everyone, even the Oscars Academy. Some fans thought this was just a stunt for publicity. However, after that loud slap was heard, everyone froze due to shock.
According to reports, fortunately, Smith was able to cool himself down before he accepted his “Best Actor Award,” which was awarded to him immediately right after the controversial slap incident.
Will Smith Apologizes: 2022
Four months after the incident, as backlash started to flood, Smith finally decided to take his time and apologize to Rock through a video message he shared on different platforms. In the video, he asks for Rock’s forgiveness after the unacceptable thing he did during the Oscars.
After a while, Smith then notifies the public that although he reaches out to Rock, it seems like the comedian needs more time to think about it. According to Smith, Rock is not yet ready to talk, but when he finally is, he assures Smith that he will reach out himself.
Rock Doesn’t Accept Smith’s Apology: 2022
Even after Smith’s public apology, it seems like Chris Rock was still not ready to forgive him at all. According to Rock, he sees Smith’s video as a “Hostage Video,” forced and not genuine.
That said, although it is already 2023, it seems like Will Smith and Chris Rock’s feud continues. Only time will tell if their friendship will still prevail or if it will end here for good.
