Dave Chappelle Says Will Smith 'Did the Impression of a Perfect Person for 30 Years' Before Oscars Slap

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: getty (2)

Dave Chappelleis sharing his unfiltered thoughts aboutWill Smith.

On Friday, Chappelle, 49, referenced Smithsmackingfellow comedianChris Rock, 57, during theOscar Awardsin March.

During the opening night of his and Rock’s joint UK tour at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England, Chappelle said Smith’s action was a “very strange choice,” according to multiple news outlets.

He saluted Rock’s authenticity throughout the years before alleging Smith “did an impression of a perfect man for 30 years,” perDeadline.

Chris Rock.Al Seib/A.M.P.A.S./Getty

The Telegraphreported that Chappelle claimed theFresh Prince of Bel-Airalum “ripped his mask off and showed us he was as ugly as the rest of us,” adding, “Whatever the consequences are … I hope he doesn’t put his mask back on again, and lets his real face breathe.”

“A lot of people forget whoWill Smithis. Then 10 minutes before he was about to get the biggest award… he acted like he was back in Philadelphia,” Chappelle said, perThe Telegraph,referencing Smith’s award for Best Actor for his role inKing Richard,which heacceptedjust moments after the slap.

Once onstage, Rock also addressed the moment, asking attendees, “Did that s— hurt?” according to Deadline. “Goddam right… the motherf—er hit me over a bulls–t joke, the nicest joke I ever told.”

He pointed out that despite being hit, hewent to workthe next day, and insisted that he’s no victim.

In July, Smithissued a public apologyto Rock via videoshared to YouTube,InstagramandFacebook.

“I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk,” Smith tellsThe Week Ofactor.

RELATED VIDEO:Will SmithResigns from the Academy After Smacking Chris Rock During Oscars: ‘I Am Heartbroken’

“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,” Smith said. “So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable, and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”

TheBad Boysactor went on to say that he also wants to apologize to Rock’s mom: “I saw an interview that his mother did. That’s one of the things about that moment I didn’t realize, I wasn’t thinking, but how many people got hurt in that moment.”

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“So I want to apologizeto Chris’s mother; I want to apologize to Chris’s family, specifically Tony Rock [Chris’s younger brother]. We had a great relationship. Tony Rock was my man. This is probably irreparable,” Will said.

“I spent the last three months replaying and understanding the complexities and nuances of what happened,” Smith explained, adding, “I’m not gonna try to unpack all of that right now but I can say to you, there was no part of me that thought that was the right way to behave in that moment.”

At the March 27 ceremony, before his win for Best Actor, Smith, 53, walked onstage and hit Rock on live television after taking issue with a joke about wifeJada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. (Jada, 50, lives with alopecia.)

source: people.com