Chris Rock claims he turned down an offer to host the Oscars in 2023.
The 57-year-old comedian – who previously helmed the Academy Awards in 2005 and 2016 – has declined to return to host following the incident at this year’s ceremony when he was slapped by Will Smith on stage after making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
As reported by MailOnline and other outlets, Rock was performing a stand-up comedy show in Phoenix, Arizona over the weekend when he addressed the situation.
He referenced the murder of OJ Simpson’s late wife Nicola Brown Simpson, saying that the offer for him to return would be like asking her “to go back to the restaurant”.
It’s said he also revealed he was asked to do a Super Bowl commercial in the aftermath of the incident, but also turned down the offer.
An audience member urged him to “talk about” the slap, and he referenced Smith’s role as Muhammad Ali in 2001’s ‘Ali’.
He added: “He’s bigger than me. The state of Nevada would not sanction a fight between me and Will Smith.”
Smith struck Rock across the face on less than an hour before picking up his Best Actor statuette for his role in ‘King Richard’ at the Oscars back in March.
Last month, he apologised and reached out to Rock publicly, while claiming he had been hurt both “psychologically and emotionally” by the incident.
READ: Will Smith Issues Grovelling Apology To Chris Rock For Slapping Him At Oscars
