Chris Rock says he has declined an offer to host 2023 Academy Awards after he was slapped on stage by Will Smith on stage at this year’s ceremony in March.
According to The Arizona Republic, the comedian revealed that he turned down the invitation to host the next Oscars ceremony during a standup show in Phoenix on Sunday.
The 57-year-old said the slap from Smith “hurt.” “He’s bigger than me”. “The state of Nevada would not sanction a fight between me and Will Smith.”
Rock, who previously hosted the Oscars in 2005 and 2016, purportedly told the crowd he also rejected the offer to appear in a Super Bowl commercial.
Will Smith walked up on stage at the 94th Oscars ceremony and smacked Chris Rock in the face due to the joke referencing his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head, a result of the hair-loss condition alopecia.
As a result, Smith subsequently resigned from the Academy and received a 10-year ban from attending all Academy functions. The Best Actor winner later apologised in a 5-minute video posted on social media last month.