Chris Rock Reveals That He Was Asked To Return To Host The Oscars

Chris Rock declined the Academy's request to return to the stage to host the Oscars after he was slapped on that stage by Will Smith.

Maxine Jordan

Tue, August 30th, 2022

Several months after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on the Oscar Stage, the comedian revealed that the Academy asked him to come back and host the Oscars and that he declined the invitation. Rock revealed the news during a recent stand-up comedy performance.

57 year old Chris Rock, was doing a stand-up comedy performance on Sunday in Phoenix, AZ at the Arizona Financial Theatre, when he told the audience that turned down the invitation to come back and host.

The comedian previously hosted the Oscars in 2005 as well as in 2016. The comedian compared going back to the Dolby Theatre to returning to a crime scene.

The comedian said that The Academy asking him to return is like asking Nicole Brown Simpson, 'to go back to the restaurant,' referencing the late wife of O.J. Simpson who was brutally murdered along with waiter Ron Goldman who was returning her sunglasses to her after she had left them at an Italian restaurant.

Rock also told audience members that he was asked to make a Super Bowl commercial after the slap, but that he declined that too.

An audience member prompted Chris Rock to 'Talk about it,' and Rock admitted that the slap did hurt, pointing out that Smith played a boxing legend, Muhammad Ali, at one point.

'He’s bigger than me. The state of Nevada would not sanction a fight between me and Will Smith,' Rock said during the show.