Chris Rock Jokes About Will Smith After Dave Chappelle Attacked During Show
Written by SOURCE on May 4, 2022
Chris Rock made a quick, joking reference to Will Smith’s Oscars slap after Dave Chappelle was attacked onstage by a man who rushed the stage at the Hollywood Bowl Tuesday night.
As reported overnight, Chappelle was in the middle of a performance at the Los Angeles venue when an unidentified audience member rushed the stage. The comedian, who appeared to be unharmed after the incident, was performing as part of the Netflix Is a Joke festival. After the incident, Chappelle made a joke referencing the controversy surrounding material of his that was criticized as being transphobic last year.
While the show was designed as a “phone-free experience,” per a report from regional outlet KNBC, footage of the moment in question has managed to surface. In one clip, seen below, Rock—who also performed as part of the festival earlier in the evening—is seen taking the microphone from Chappelle and referencing the aforementioned slap.
“Was that Will Smith?” Rock joked as both he and Chappelle laughed. Rock, of course, was slapped at this year’s Oscars ceremony after making a G.I. Jane joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.
As for the Chappelle incident, the Los Angeles Police Department—again per KNBC—said Wednesday the man who rushed the stage and attacked the comedian was carrying a weapon that could eject a knife blade if discharged correctly. It was not immediately clear, however, whether the man had tried to use this alleged weapon. The man was ultimately detained by venue security staff and transported to a nearby hospital with what LAPD said were “superficial injuries.”
An LAPD rep did not immediately respond to Complex’s request for additional comment.
