Regina Hall on Jimmy Kimmel Hosting 2023 Oscars: Make Sure 'Nobody Comes Up Out the Audience'

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Steve Jennings/WireImage, Randy Holmes/Getty

Regina Hallwants everyone to stay in their seats at the 2023Academy Awards.

TheHonk for Jesusactress, 51, weighed in onJimmy Kimmelhosting next year’s Oscarsand referencedWill Smith smacking Chris Rockduring the 2022 ceremony in March.

Hall — who emceed this year’s Oscars with fellow comedic actressesWanda SykesandAmy Schumer— recently toldEntertainment TonightofKimmel hosting, “I think it’s really a bad idea. No, I’m joking.”

She continued, “We’ll make sure Jimmy’s got something on so he don’t get injured onstage and nobody comes up out the audience. But I think it’s gonna be a fun show and he’s tried and true, so I’m excited to see what he’s gonna do.”

Chris Rock; Will Smith.Getty (2)

The slap led to months of fallout for the Best Actor winner, whoresigned from the Academyof Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and wasbanned from attending Academy eventsfor 10 years.

TheKing Richardstar apologized to Rockin a statement on Instagramthe following day, before posting an apology video on his social media accounts July 29.

“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 herewhenever you’re ready to talk.”

Rock has not officially commented on the televised physical assault, but has referenced the slap onstage inseveral stopsof his latest comedy tour.

RELATED VIDEO: Oscars Producer Will Packer Responds toWill Smith’s Public Apology: ‘He’s Being So Transparent’

The day after the slap, Kimmel reacted to the moment during an opening monologue onJimmy Kimmel Live.

The late-night show host, 54, said he believesRock handled the situation “well,“and admitted that if it were him, he wouldn’t have had the same reaction.

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“This was the Hollywood version of your drunk uncle starting a fight, ruining the wedding and then standing up and giving a long toast to the bride and groom,” Kimmel, who has hostedthe Oscarstwice before, joked. “But Chris Rock, he handled it about as well as you could possibly handle being slapped on stage atthe Oscars. He didn’t even flinch when Will slapped him. I would’ve been crying so hard.”

“A lot of my friends have been texting me, asking, what I would’ve done if I’d been on stage when Will — I would have run, is what I would’ve done,” he quipped. “The second I sawWill Smithget up out of his seat I would’ve been halfway to the Wetzel’s Pretzels, enjoying the samples in front of the store.”

source: people.com