Staff
A video of Chris Rock detailing the bullying and sexual assault he endured as a child has resurfaced after Will Smith slapped him on the Oscars stage.
Rock performed in front of a sold-out crowd in Boston on Wednesday night as part of his comedy tour. It was Rock’s first public appearance since he was smacked on live television for the world to see, quickly going viral on social media.
On Hollywood’s Biggest Night, as he presented the award for Best Documentary Feature, he made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
“Jada, ‘GI Jane 2,’ I can’t wait to see it,” Rock said to the Oscars audience. Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes in response. In 2018, the actress was diagnosed with alopecia, which Rock was reportedly unaware of.
After seeing his wife’s response and with cameras rolling during the live event, Smith stormed to the Oscars stage and slapped Rock.
While the shocking incident occurred Sunday night, some are still processing what happened, including Rock himself, which he revealed to the crowd in Beantown.
“I’m just an open book,” Rock said. “It’s also my way of apologizing to many people without having to call them up. I’m a total weirdo.”
Rock says he only feels confident when he’s telling jokes.
“I suffer from big ego, low self-esteem. And when I say big ego, it’s only about telling jokes.”
While Rock is one of the most recognizable names in comedy after decades of success, he admits he often feels undeserving.
“I just feel unworthy of anyone’s attention, of anyone’s love, any accolades, just anything.”
Rock briefly talked about his childhood and described it as a “horrible existence.” He shared he attended an all-white school and was the frequent target of bullies, often being called racial slurs, beaten by bullies, and enduring sexual assault, which he called “rape-ish.”
Rock grew up in Brooklyn, and some of his events as a teen were chronicled in the sitcom “Everybody Hates Chris.”
