How Chris Rock’s family is responding to Will Smith’s slap
A brother of Chris Rock, comedian Tony Rock, expressed dismay at a Friday comedy show about Will Smith walking up onstage and slapping his sibling at the Oscars, warning “there’s a lot of Rock brothers.”
“If you think you want to walk up on this stage, this ain’t the mother f—ing Oscars,” said Tony Rock at a comedy show in North Carolina on Friday. His comments were captured in a video posted on Instagram by The Shade Room. A representative for Tony Rock confirmed that the footage was from the April 1 show.
The reaction to Smith’s slap has continued to reverberate throughout the entertainment industry.
Chris Rock made a joke comparing the hairstyle of Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, to Demi Moore’s buzzcut in the 1997 movie “G.I. Jane.” Some have called the joke insensitive because Pinkett Smith has talked about her struggles with hair loss caused by alopecia. After Rock made the joke, Smith got out of his seat, walked onto the stage and slapped Rock in the face.
Will Smith has resigned from the film academy and says he’s willing to accept whatever punishment is coming his way.
Smith on Friday resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and in an letter, Smith apologized to Rock and his family, and to Smith’s own friends and loved ones, as well as those who watched or attended the event.
“I betrayed the trust of the Academy,” Smith wrote. “I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken.”
Chris Rock spoke briefly at a recent comedy show about the slap incident, saying he is still processing what happened.
Many of his family members haven’t publicly voiced their opinions on it either. Rock has five brothers and one sister, according to E! News. His half brother Charles passed away in 2006, E! News said.
The most outspoken member of his family on the incident has been Tony Rock, tweeting Tuesday that he did not approve of Smith’s initial apology. In Smith’s acceptance speech after winning best actor he did not directly apologize to Chris Rock, but to the academy and his fellow nominees.
When asked on Twitter “Who do you think hits harder Will or Jada boyfriend,” Tony Rock tweeted “Mama Rock.” In response to someone asking on Twitter, “Are we fighting fire with fire or going the professional route?” Tony Rock replied, “It’s on bro.”
A representative for Tony Rock declined an interview request.
Rock’s brother Kenny, who has acted in movies such as the sci-fi film “Vesuvius” and comedy “Coincidental Killer,” hasn’t posted directly on the topic, but an Instagram account under his name has liked on social media messages such as someone posting, “F THE SMITH FAMILY!! WE SUPPORT THE ROCKS!! YA.LL BETTER MAKE THAT FOOOLLL REGRET IT!!”
Meanwhile, a Twitter account under the name of brother, comedian and actor Jordan Rock retweeted a tweet from another comedian saying Jordan Rock has “gotta f—k up Carlton now,” referring to a character on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” a sitcom that starred Smith.
The Twitter account for Jordan Rock was unverified by Twitter and a representative for Jordan Rock did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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