Chris Rock Refuses To Host Oscars 2023, Says It’s Like Returning To A Crime Scene

During a show at the Arizona Financial Theatre in downtown Phoenix, Chris Rock reportedly said he has declined the offer to host the 95th Academy Awards 2023. Rock, an American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker, was asked to return to host the Oscars for the third time this year after 2005 and 2016.

Further, during the show, Rock also compared returning to the Oscars to returning to the scene of crime. As a reference, he cited the murder trial of O.J. Simpson, whose ex-wife’s killing began with her leaving a pair of eyeglasses at an Italian restaurant. The comedian said returning to the Academy Awards stage would be like asking Nicole Brown Simpson “to go back to the restaurant.”

To contextualise, actor Will Smith slapped Rock during the 94th Academy Awards in 2022 after the latter made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, actor and Smith’s wife, being in GI Jane 2 because of her shaved head.

VIA JAPANESE TELEVISION: The uncensored exchange between Will Smith and Chris Rock pic.twitter.com/j0Z184ZyXa

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) March 28, 2022

Referring to Pikett’s shaved head, Rock said, “Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see it, all right?”

Smith walked up to the stage, struck Rock across the face, and then returned to his seat without saying a word. Post which, he told Rock to leave his wife Pinkett alone, to which the comedian said he was just making a “GI Jane” joke.

However, Smith once again shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.” Rock replied he was “going to” and concluded the tiff by saying, “That was the greatest night in the history of television.”

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Back in 2018, Pinkett revealed that she was diagnosed with alopecia areata, a condition that causes sudden hair loss. Since then, she has often discussed the challenges and struggles of hair loss on several social media platforms.

Later that night, Smith won his first-ever Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in King Richard.

While accepting his Oscar that night, Smith apologised to the Academy and his fellow nominees. However, he did not extend any apology to Rock himself.

Later, in April 2022 a week after Smith publicly resigned from the Academy, they banned Smith from returning to the Oscars or performing in any related events for the next 10 years.

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During the show on August 28, 2022, when the crowd yelled and urged Chris Rock to talk about it, he compared Smith’s performance to Muhammed Ali in the 2001 drama Ali, for which Smith had earned his first Oscar nomination.

Rock said, “He’s bigger than me. The state of Nevada would not sanction a fight between me and Will Smith.”