Everything that’s happened between Will Smith & Chris Rock since the 2022 Oscars slap

It’s been almost a year since Will Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock on March 27, 2022 at the 94th annual Academy Awards.

The incident made headlines around the world, and with the 2023 Oscars set to air live on March 12 at 8 p.m ET/ 5 p.m PT, everyone is wondering if another jaw-dropping moment will take place this year.

With the Academy having already announced it has formed a “crisis team” should anything unexpected happen, lets take a look back at everything that’s happened between Smith and Rock since the incident.

Smith slaps Rock and the fallout

It all began when Rock, who was presenting the Academy Award for Best Documentary feature, made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and a possible ‘G.I. Jane’ sequel in reference to her bald head.

Although Smith laughed at first, Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes, with the actor then getting on stage and slapping Rock, before returning to his seat.

Rock told the stunned audience that Smith just slapped him, with the actor telling the comedian to keep his wife’s name out of his mouth.

Soon after the incident, Smith won the Best Actor award for his role in ‘King Richard’ and delivered a speech that didn’t mention Rock.

Rock declines to press charges, Smith apologizes

Rock didn’t file a formal police report against Smith, and his first remarks regarding the slap came at a stand-up show three days later in which he said he was still “processing what happened.”

A day after the incident, Smith apologized for his actions via Instagram.

“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be,” wrote Smith.

Jada Pinkett Smith posted her own message on March 29, saying “this is a season for healing” without actually referencing the incident.

Rock addresses slap during show, Smith apologizes again

During his ‘Rock Hart Only Headliners Allowed’ tour stop with Kevin Hart in Holmdel, New Jersey on July 28, 2022, Rock referenced his feelings surrounding the slap.

“Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face,” said Rock as per US Weekly, who cited an unnamed eyewitness. He also referred to Smith as ‘Suge Smith’, a reference to the imprisoned former Death Row Records CEO Marion ‘Suge’ Knight.

A day later, Smith made his first on-camera apology with a YouTube video titled ‘It’s been a minute”. In it, he address why he didn’t apologize to Rock when he won the award for Best Actor minutes after the slap.

“I was fogged out by that point. It’s all fuzzy. 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,” said Smith. “So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you.”

Smith also appeared on ‘The Daily Show with Trevor Noah’, calling the situation a “horrific night”.

“And I guess what I would say, you just never know what somebody is going through,” he added. “I was going through something that night. Not that that justifies my behavior at all.”

Rock takes aim at Smith in Netflix special

Rock waited until March 5, 2023 to address the slap at length during Netflix’s first live special, ‘Chris Rock: Selective Outrage’.

The comedian didn’t hold back when talking about Smith and Pinkett Smith’s marital issues, stating: “I did not have any entanglements. She hurt him way more than he hurt me.”

He also said he used to be a big fan of Smith, but that has all changed.

“I loved Will Smith. My whole life, I loved Will Smith. I saw him open up for Run-D.M.C. … He makes great movies. I have rooted for Will Smith my whole life,” Rock said.

“And now I watch Emancipation just to see him get whooped.”