Donnell Rawlings has seen Chris Rock’s special and confirmed that his comedian friend was “furious.” In addition, Rawlings stated Rock’s family wanted to retaliate, which also put Smith’s family in danger.
“It’s war. Hopefully, it’s over,” Rawlings said. “A lot of people are fans of both of them, and it’s really ugly. As a comic, you can’t tell them what they’re going to do and how to respond.”
Regarding the jokes from Rock, Rawlings stated that the idea that they were an attack on a marginalized woman was a “matter of opinion.”
“People can also say, as most comics say, these are just jokes,” Rawlings added.
Rawlings would conclude by saying the score is even, and this would be the best time to talk.
Few characters in entertainment have the same imposing personality as Suge Knight. He was a formidable force in Hip Hop during those Golden Era years, and the stories that emerged from his intimidating tactics are plentiful. Currently, Knight is in prison, serving a 28-year sentence for the death of a Los Angeles man named Terry Carter. Although he hasn’t tasted freedom in some time, his impact on the industry hasn’t wavered.
TMZ caught up with the Death Row icon’s son, Marion, also known as Suge Knight Jr. He was questioned about Chris Rock’s Selective Outrage mention. Jr. quickly noted there wasn’t anyone like his father, nor had there been another with such a reputation. He also speculated about what Suge would think of the joke.
Suge Knight Jr. Was Bored With “Selective Outrage”
HOLLYWOOD – JUNE 26: CEO of Death Row Records Suge Knight attends the 2007 BET Awards after party hosted by 10 Cane Rum held at the Roosevelt Hotel on June 26, 2007 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for LMVH)
“Because, he’s like, who else—we all know Suge Knight is that guy that’s like, all about that action,” said the younger Knight. “Whatever he does, he’s gon’ do that. So, it’s just funny that, to see that Suge been in jail for a minute, but he still has this like, legendary status for who he is. It’s just dope.” He was then asked how he believes his father would have reacted to the joke.
“He woulda said, ‘These dudes is not like me.’ But he woulda laughed, though,” Jr. added with a chuckle. “‘These dudes ain’t like me.’ I was really bored with the special until that happened. I’mma be honest. I was like, okay Chris, cool, cool cool. ‘Suge Smith.” Oh, sh*t, oh damn! Okay! It woke me up. It’s a refresher.”
Chris Ethers Will Smith
After joking about “Suge Smith” in Selective Outrage, Rock unleashed on his former pal. “His wife was f*cking her son’s friend,” he said. “Now, I normally would not talk about this sh*t, but for some reason, these n*ggas put this sh*t on the internet. I have no idea why two talented people would do something that f*cking low down. We’ve all been cheated on, everybody in here’s been cheated on. None of us has ever been interviewed by the person that cheated on us on television.”
He further stated, ” She hurt him way more than he hurt me. … Everybody called him a b*tch, and who’s he hit? Me! A n*gga he knows he can beat. That is some b*tch ass sh*t.” Check out Suge Knight Jr. with TMZ above.
He certainly didn’t hold back during his latest comedy special, and Chris Rock is feeling the heat. Nearly one year after being slapped on the Oscars stage, Rock reveals Selective Outrage, where he had Will Smith in his crosshairs. Smith was widely vilified for assaulting Rock on an international platform, but he has repeatedly shared his remorse over his actions. Smith has released statements, apologies, and even sat down with Red Table Talk to discuss mental health and healing.
However, that didn’t move Rock, and he targeted Smith in his special. He talked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s “entanglement” with August Alsina, referred to Will as “Suge Smith,” and went in about being assaulted in front of a crowd of white people. It earned both praise and pushback. Several of Rock’s famous friends have come to his defense.
Leslie Jones Stands for Comedy, Kimmel Is Proud Of Rock
Leslie Jones reacted by responding to an Instagram comment. The social media user suggested that it was time for Rock to move forward. “Y’all forget he got slapped in front of the world yo! His kids, his mama, peers EVERYONE!” wrote Jones. “I wonder how y’all muthaf**kas would handle that! And he is A COMEDIAN this is his way of expressing it. If he sang he would write a song. Cause it’s a painful thing that happen.” She went on to call people “hypocrites” and told them to “shut the f*ck up.”
Jimmy Kimmel also spoke with PEOPLE and said he hopes that Rock and Smith will move past this. He admitted that he hadn’t spoken with Smith, but he communicated with Rock. “I mean, to be slapped in the face and to stay that cool is something that Chris should be proud of,” Kimmel said. “Chris’ grandchildren, I hope, will still be proud of that when he’s dead and gone.”
D.L. Hughley Thinks Chris Rock Deserves To Speak His Truth
Rock has another ally in D.L. Hughley, who went after people who didn’t think the scandal needed to be rehashed. “That happened to HIM, to CHRIS… and the ENTIRE WORLD got to weigh in and talk trash and make jokes and ‘shoulda, woulda, coulda’ the whole damn thing to death,” said Hughley. “OTHER COMEDIANS have bits about it, it was an opener for most of us. The ONE PERSON YOU NEVER HEARD FROM ABOUT IT WAS CHRIS!!
“So NOW, that HE decides to address it on HIS TIME, people have the audacity to say: ‘he’s bitter… Why is he still talking about that… let it go… or the best one WE’VE MOVED ON’. So YOU got to speak on it but he can’t??? Y’all are a straight f*n trip. Congratulations @chrisrock YOU DID THE DAMN THANG!! #TeamDL.”
It’s award season, and people are anticipating the Oscars following last year’s controversy involving Will Smith and Chris Rock. Rock’s Netflix special, Selective Outrage, was recently released to amplify the interest. As expected, Rock unleashed on Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett, who was at the center of the violent Academy Awards outburst last year. As far as the public knows, Smith and Rock have yet to chat about their falling out. PEOPLE claims to have spoken with a source with inside knowledge about how Smith is navigating this time.
The person told the outlet that Smith felt terrible about what occurred. “He’s tried unsuccessfully to make amends in the best way he could with Chris,” the source claims. “But beyond that, family is important to him and [Smith] leaned on them. It all has helped him look inside and mature. He is better but still remorseful. Will listened to those who tried to help him and feels that he has become a better person.”
Chris Rock Ethers The Smiths
Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Chris Rock during 1999 MTV Music Awards Party at Lincoln Center in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)
In Selective Outrage, Rock didn’t hold back. “Y’all know what happened to me, getting smacked by Suge Smith. It still hurts. I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears,” he said. “But I’m not a victim, baby. You’ll never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying. You will never see it. Never gonna happen. … No, I took that hit like Pacquiao.”
He then went on to take verbal shots at Jada by mentioning her “entanglement” controversy with August Alsina. “His wife was f*cking her son’s friend,” he said. “Now, I normally would not talk about this sh*t, but for some reason, these n*ggas put this sh*t on the internet. I have no idea why two talented people would do something that f*cking low down. We’ve all been cheated on, everybody in here’s been cheated on. None of us has ever been interviewed by the person that cheated on us on television.” He further stated, ” She hurt him way more than he hurt me. … Everybody called him a b*tch, and who’s he hit? Me! A n*gga he knows he can beat. That is some b*tch ass sh*t.”
Testing Out Jokes
Chris rock is not holding back about Will Smith and Jada . This is just too much. pic.twitter.com/RTxjIsflgq
Ahead of its release, there were rumors that he tested Smith-centered material during his stand-up shows. There was a report that Rock was said to have joked that he only watched Emancipation, a film about an enslaved man, to see Smith get whipped. Check out a clip of Chris Rock’s Selective Outrage above.
Will Smith has delivered his first acceptance speech at an awards show since slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards. After winning The Beacon Award alongside director Antoine Fuqua for their work on Emancipation, Smith addressed the crowd at the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) Awards in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, on Wednesday night.
“Emancipation was the individual most difficult film of my entire career. It was all outdoors, that is true,” he joked, according to Variety. “It was the second day of shooting, and 110 degrees… I was in a scene with one of the white actors. The actor decided to ad-lib. So, we’re doing the scene. I did my line. He did his line. And then – ad lib – he spit in the middle of my chest. The actor felt that the ad-lib had gone well. So, we do take two. I do my line. He does his line – and spits in the middle of my chest again… In the distance, I hear a voice. And Antoine says, ‘Hey, let’s do a take without the spit.’ And in that moment, I knew that God was real.”
Will Smith At The AAFCA Awards
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – MARCH 1: Will Smith at the 14th Annual AAFCA Awards held at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on March 1, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Mark Von Holden/Variety via Getty Images)
Smith further thanked AAFCA officials for “keeping our stories alive” as well as producers at Apple TV+ for their support in making the project. “It was the first time I had heard from a studio that the story was more important than how much it costs to get it done… They make iPhones. They can do it,” he said. Smith also recently won Best Actor at the NAACP Image Awards but wasn’t present to accept the award.
While Smith appears to be moving on from the 2022 Oscars incident, Chris Rock brought the slap up again during his new Netflix special, Selective Outrage. On stage, the comedian joked about Jada’s infamous “entanglement” cheating scandal involving August Alsina. He poked fun at Smith for discussing the scandal during an episode of Jada’s Red Table Talk show.
Chris Rock jokingly recalled a time he intentionally got his daughter kicked out of private school during his new Netflix special, Selective Outrage. He explained that he has “rich kids” and that during a class trip to Portugal, his daughter, Lola, and four other students snuck out to go drinking. They were caught, but Rock felt they weren’t punished enough.
“My kids ski, they ride horses,” he began. “They fence. I got fencing little Black girls.” From there he explained, “These crazy white schools got rich ass white parents and rich ass white parents do not let their kids get kicked out of school. So all the parents, they all got lawyers, even the ones that were lawyers got lawyers. Good lawyers.”
Chris Rock On Stage
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 29: Host Chris Rock speaks onstage during the BET AWARDS ’14 at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on June 29, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for BET)
From there, Rock explained that after the drinking incident, his ex-wife demanded they lawyer up to keep their daughter out of trouble. He disagreed and secretly drove to the dean’s office to speak in favor of their daughter being expelled. “I need you to kick my daughter out of this school,” he recalled saying, before adding, “I need you to kick her Black ass out of this school. I need my Black child to learn her lesson right now before she is up on OnlyFans and some shit. Please kick my child out of fucking school.” Nowadays, Lola is 20 years old and reportedly studying in culinary school in Paris.
Elsewhere in the Netflix special, Chris Rock reflected on his experience being slapped by Will Smith at the Oscars, last year. In doing so, Rock rehashed Smith and his wife Jada’s infamous “entanglement” cheating scandal involving August Alsina. The couple addressed the scandal during an episode of Jada’s Red Table Talk show. “We all been cheated on. Everybody in this industry has been cheated on,” Rock joked during the special. “None of us have ever been interviewed by the person that cheated on us on television. None of us. … Why the fuck would you do that shit? She hurt him way more than he hurt me, okay?”
Chris Rock just mocked Will Smith during his newest comedy special on Netflix, taking aim at various topics in Smith’s life. Of course, many associate the two primarily with the infamous Oscars slap, in which Rock made a joke about Will’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith and her husband got up and slapped Rock across the face onstage. However, the Saturday night special (March 4) saw the actor make jokes about the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in a lot more areas. For example, he mocked the interview where the couple talked about Jada’s affair, and it resulted in mixed opinions online.
“You all know what happened… Suge Smith [slapped me],” the Hollywood star began. “Everybody knows, everybody f***ing knows. I got smacked at the f***ing Oscars by this motherf***er. And people are like “Did it hurt?” It still hurts. I got Summertime ringing in my ear f***ing drums. But I’m not a victim, you will never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying you will never see it, like, ‘I couldn’t believe it and I love Men in Black.’ No, it’s never going to happen… But Will Smith practices selective outrage because everyone that knows what happened, everybody that really knows, knows I had nothing to do with that s**t. I didn’t have any entanglements. His wife was f***ing her son’s friend.
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) March 5, 2023
“Now I normally wouldn’t talk about this s**t,” Rock continued. “But for some reason these n***as put that s**t on the Internet. I have no idea why two talented people would do something that f***ing low down. What the f**k? We’ve all been cheated on, everybody in here has been cheated on. None of us have been interviewed by the person that cheated on us on television, like ‘Hey, I was sucking somebody else’s d**k, how did that make you feel?’ Why the f**k would you do that s**t?
“She hurt him way more than he hurt me, OK,” he wrapped up. “Everybody in the world called him a b***h. I tried to call the motherf***er and give him my condolences. He wouldn’t pick up for me. Everybody called him a b***h. And who is he hitting? Me, a n***a he knows he can be beat. That is some b***h a** s**t… I have rooted for Will Smith my whole life and now I watch Emancipationjust to see him get whooped… A lot of people are like ‘Chris why didn’t you do nothing back?’ Because I got parents that’s why, because I was raised. And you know what my parents taught me? Don’t fight in front of white people.” Let us know what you thought of the special in the comments and check out more reactions below.
Twitter Reacts To The Comedy Special
The most Chris Rock thing about all of this is him screaming that you don’t fight in front of white people but not even considering what it means to make jokes about a BW and her hair in front of white people
Good morning: Chris Rock stood in front of a mostly white audience & made slavery jokes in front of them. Oh he did this in the hometown of the black woman he insulted in front of the world at the Oscars. If you’re black & applauding this, get help.
— Sons of Killmonger & Disciple of Dark Brandon (@2Strong2Silence) March 5, 2023
I love how Chris Rock tore Will Smith apart at the end of “Selective outrage.”
How can someone cheat on you and then interview you on camera to know how you feel about being cheated on. Useless man
Stop tellin Chris Rock to “let it go”. That man got a fresh Skibbity Pap in front of MILLIONS! If that was me, im holdin on like a customer service call. CUE UP THE ON HOLD MUSIC GOTDAMMIT.
Chris Rock can make all the jokes he wants about Will Smith, but making a joke saying “I only watched Emancipation to see Will Smith get whipped” in a room of predominantly white people is disgusting.
Chris Rock chose to do his standup in my hometown of Baltimore – a city where he has absolutely no connections – when he could’ve easily sold out in his hometown of NYC.
Chris Rock is performing modern day minstrel shows for non-Black audiences. I know this based on the reactions from *checks notes* non-Black people. There was no mic dropped. Just him continuing to expose his own anti-Black politic which is why Will did what he did. https://t.co/2JxzpmOVt7
— Jason (Emperor T’Challa) (@EscaflowneClown) March 5, 2023
Over a year may have passed since Will Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards. Yet, the internet can’t help but continue the discussion. Most recently, Marlon Wayans made the “slapgate” controversy a central point in his March 2nd HBO special, God Loves Me. During this hour-long special, the comedian dedicates his stage time to discussing Rock and Smith, both of whom he considers to be buddies. Ultimately, his set goes far beyond just the shock of the confrontation and dives deep into comedy, mental health, and working in an industry dominated by white males.
In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, the 50-year-old explains why he chose “slapgate” as his topic for the special. He notes how he had witnessed the ordeal, and discussed the aftermath at a show in Oxnard just a few days later. Although his thoughts initially amounted to a five-minute set, it quickly turned into 15 minutes. “I kept exploring the truth and it became like a Rubik’s cube to me,” Wayans explained. “I got one side. That’s the Chris Rock side. I got what’s my experience with Jada, and then what’s my experience with Will. What’s my experience in the industry? What’s my experience as a Black person? What do white people feel? Before I knew it, I had an hour of material.”
Wayans Refers To Smith and Rock As Friends
The White Chicks star also spoke on his connection to Smith, Rock, and Pinkett-Smith. His friendship with the involved parties made him question all perspectives on the matter. When asked what if he included either Smith’s or Rock’s involvement during the creation of this special, Wayans answered no. “I just hope they gauge and trust that I love them,” he reflected. “That I’m being objective. I’m being honest. I’m being real. And that the purpose of this is more healing than it is deconstruction.”
Throughout the interview, Wayans jumps from a variety of heavy topics but doesn’t avoid displaying his respect for both actors. He notes Smith as the ultimate image of a Black man in Hollywood who refuses to fall into labels and refers to Rock as an inspiration. “He’s just a brilliant mind and a brilliant comedian, Wayans reflects. For more news on pop culture and hip hop, don’t miss out on HNHH.
Chris Rock’s newest stand-up special Selective Outrage is set to premiere this weekend. It will mark the first time Rock has publicly spoken about “the slap” since it happened nearly a year ago. However, Rock has made mention of it during his international tour where he called Will Smith “Suge Smith.” According to the Huffington Post, Rock jokes about having seen Smith’s movie Emancipation, just to see the actor get “whipped.”
“The other day, I watched ‘Emancipation’ just so I could watch him getting whipped,” Rock reportedly said. However, that was not the only joke Rock had about the situation.
Chris also answered a question many people apparently had about whether the slap hurt or not. According to Rock, the answer is yes.
“The thing people wanna know … did it hurt? Hell yeah it hurt. He played Muhammad Ali! I played Pookie (in ‘New Jack City’). Even in animated movies, I’m a zebra, he’s a fucking shark. I got hit so hard, I heard ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears,” Rock reportedly said.
He went on to say that: “Will Smith is a big dude. I am not. Will Smith is shirtless in his movies. If you see me in a movie getting open heart surgery, I’m gonna have a sweater on.”
Rock’s special will be broadcasted live from Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre on Saturday, March 4th on Netflix.
Chris Rock will finally address the infamous Oscars moment involving Will Smith during his Netflix special this weekend It will mark the first time that he’s addressed the moment on a televised platform, though he’s made numerous mentions of the situation since it happened nearly a year ago. He’s referred to Will as “Suge Smith,” despite believing that he’s one of the “softest” men in Hollywood. Then, Kevin Hart and Dave Chappelle gifted him a goat that they named after the Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air actor.
A recent report indicated that he’ll finally speak on the matter during the debut of Selective Outrage. On the same night Will Smith took home a Beacon Award for his performance on Emancipation, Rock joked about watching the film solely to see Smith in his shoes on the night of the Oscars. “The other day, I watched ‘Emancipation’ just so I could watch him getting whipped,” he said, according to the Huffington Post, though he clearly has an arsenal of material loaded up for Friday night’s show.
Chris Rock: He Played Muhammad Ali!
Chris Rock and Will Smith during “Hustle & Flow” Los Angeles Premiere – Red Carpet at ArcLight Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by Lee Celano/WireImage)
Though it’s unclear whether all of the jokes will make it to Selective Outrage, his fans in Manhattan were treated to a few references surrounding the Oscars moment. At one point, Rock compared his size to Will Smith, who bulked up on numerous occasions for movie roles. “The thing people wanna know … did it hurt? Hell yeah it hurt. He played Muhammad Ali! I played Pookie (in ‘New Jack City’). Even in animated movies, I’m a zebra, he’s a fucking shark. I got hit so hard, I heard ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears,” he reportedly said.
He continued, “Will Smith is a big dude. I am not. Will Smith is shirtless in his movies. If you see me in a movie getting open heart surgery, I’m gonna have a sweater on.” There’s a lot to look forward to, especially since Selective Outrage will be among the first of its kind. Chris Rock’s special will be broadcasted live from Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre on Saturday. Will you be tuning in? Let us know in the comments below.
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