Chris Rock Netflix Comedy Special Set to Premiere Nearly One Year After Oscars Slap Controversy – Chris Rock’s next Netflix comedy special has a date set. On March 4, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, which will be live-streamed on Netflix, will debut, almost a year after the Oscar incident in which Rock, 57, was slapped by Will Smith, 54.
Before Smith won the Best Actor Oscar on March 27, the infamous scene occurred during the Oscars ceremony. He entered the stage and hit Rock live on television after he made fun of his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. Jada, age 50, has alopecia. Smith’s resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a 10-year attendance ban are the results of the incident.
People Also Read: Will Smith to Enter 2023 Oscar Race With Slavery Drama Emancipation
Smith eventually apologized to the comedian in July with a video apology: “I’ve reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk, and when he is he will reach out. So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable, and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.” Rock has since joked about the incident, and even referenced it on stage during his U.K. tour with fellow comedian Dave Chappelle, 49.
Chappelle reportedly called Smith’s action a “very strange choice,” during his set. He saluted Rock’s authenticity throughout the years before alleging that Smith “did an impression of a perfect man for 30 years,” per Deadline. Chris Rock: Selective Outrage will be the first comedy special that Netflix will live stream in a global event. It will also be Rock’s second special on the streaming service after releasing Chris Rock: Tamborine in 2018.
“Chris Rock is one of the most iconic and important comedic voices of our generation,” Robbie Praw, Netflix vice president of stand-up and comedy formats, said in a statement in November. “We’re thrilled the entire world will be able to experience a live Chris Rock comedy event and be a part of Netflix history. This will be an unforgettable moment and we’re so honored that Chris is carrying this torch.”
People Also Read: Jason Momoa Biography and Career
The streaming service launched a similar idea with its live, in-person comedy event Netflix is a Joke: The Festival in Spring 2022. That event featured more than 330 comedians performing shows across 35 venues in Los Angeles, according to the press release. Chris Rock: Selective Outrage will premiere on Netflix on March 4, 2023 at 10pm ET/7pm PT.