Chris Rock has compared Will Smith to the imprisoned Death Row Records executive Suge Knight hours after Smith issued an apology for the infamous Oscars slap.
In his first comedy show since the release of a new apology video issued by the Fresh Prince of Bel Air star, Rock joked about the slap as he took to the stage at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.
“Everybody is trying to be a f***ing victim,” Rock, 57, said, according to People.
“If everybody claims to be a victim, then nobody will hear the real victims. Even me getting smacked by Suge Smith ... I went to work the next day, I got kids.”
“Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face,” he added.
Rock didn’t explicitly mention Smith’s apology during the show, which is one of several he is performing at the theatre as part of his Ego Death World Tour.
In his apology video, shared to YouTube on Friday (29 July), Smith addressed the comedian, whom he says has declined to speak with him directly.
He said: “I will say to you, Chris, I apologise to you. My behavior was unacceptable, and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
The 53-year-old revealed he received a message claiming that Rock was “not ready to talk”, but had said would “reach out” when he was.
The comedian previously addressed the altercation during a sold-out show in Boston, telling the crowd: “I don’t have a bunch of s*** to say about that, so if you came here for that...”
And more recently, on 24 July, while headlining a New Jersey stand-up show alongside Kevin Hart, Rock once again made reference to the slap, according to US Magazine.
“Anyone who says ‘words hurt’ has never been punched in the face,” he quipped.
Later in the set, while speaking about overly sensitive people who choose to play the victim, Rock said: “I’m not a victim, motherf*****.
“Yeah, that s*** hurt, motherf*****. But I shook that s*** off and went to work the next day.”
He added: “I don’t go to the hospital for a papercut.”
