Chris Rock tags Will Smith’s apology video as ‘hostage video’; Dave Chappelle opens up on Hollywood bowl attack

Comedians Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle recently performed at London’s O2 Arena and the duo talked about their respective onstage incidents. While Rock was slapped actor Will Smith during the Oscar 2022 ceremony, Chappelle was attacked an audience member at Hollywood Bowl.
Smith later uploaded an apology video on Instagram. Rock reacted to the video for the first time at O2 Arena on Saturday.
According to Deadline, during his lengthy set on stage, Chris Rock talked about Will Smith’s apology video and tagged it as ‘hostage video’. He said, “F**k your hostage video.” Rock further called the actor Suge Smith, making a reference to former Death Row Records music executive Suge Knight, who was imprisoned for voluntary manslaughter.

After Rock, Dave Chappelle took the stage. The comedian, who was attacked on stage in May, said that post the traumatic incident, he is weary about performing on stage because he can no longer tell if someone in the audience will be hostile. Dave added, “That was some scary s**t.” The comedian also said that he wouldn’t know how to react if Smith had slapped him during Oscars.
Chappelle ended his set requesting the audience to be themselves unlike Will Smith, who he said “did an impression of a perfect man for 30 years”. The comedian added, “I just hope he doesn’t put that mask back on.”
Will Smith uploaded an apology video in July, reflecting on his behaviour. He started addressing the various questions fans might have for him. The actor began answering the question – “Why didn’t you apologize to Chris Rock in the acceptance speech?” In his reply, Smith said that he reached out to Rock, who wasn’t “ready to talk”. The Men in Black star added, “I will say to you, Chris, I apologise to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I am here whenever you are ready to talk.”

 
Chris Rock poked fun at Will Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith‘s hair-loss, being unaware that she suffers from alopecia. This infuriated Smith who walked up to the Oscars stage and slapped Rock. In the apology video, Smith also said that his Oscar win got ‘tarnished’ because of his actions. “To all my fellow nominees, this is a community. It’s like, I won because you voted for me and it breaks my heart to have stolen and tarnished your moment,” he said.