Chris Rock slapping back at Will Smith, seemingly trying out material for Saturday’s live Netflix special

Written by ABC AUDIO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on March 3, 2023

(NOTE LANGUAGE) Chris Rock takes the stage Saturday night in Netflix’s first live special, but before Selective Outrage drops, the celebrated comedian appears to have been workshopping some material about Will Smith.

Rock hasn’t said much about being the target of Smith’s infamous Oscar-night slap, but if several reports are accurate, he’s coming loaded for bear when he grabs the mic on March 4.

The Baltimore Sun says Rock reportedly told a packed Hippodrome Theatre of Smith’s latest film, “The other day, I watched Emancipation just so I could watch him getting whipped.”

Indeed, the title of the Netflix special seems to be part of his Smith material. “Will Smith practices selective outrage,” Rock reportedly said, noting frequent jokes at Will’s expense regarding Jada Pinkett Smith‘s reported “entanglement” with singer August Alsina were the real cause. And Rock insists he supported Smith throughout that media circus.

The comedian also mentions how before the infamous Oscars incident, “I rooted for Will Smith my whole life.”

Rock reportedly said of the marital headlines, “I felt so bad for Will, I tried to call and give him my condolences,” Rock reportedly said.

“Everybody was calling him a b**** except me. But who does he hit? Me.”

Rock also reportedly said of the slap, “People who are in the know, know that s*** had nothing to do with me.”

“We have all been cheated on,” Rock reportedly said, adding of Jada, “She hurt him way more than he ever hurt me.”

Also of note, Rock did keep Smith’s “wife’s name” out of his mouth, as Will admonished him to do during the Oscars outburst: The paper mentions Rock never referred to Jada by her name.