Chris Rock could host the 2023 Oscars one year after he was slapped by Will Smith, ABC has said. This year’s awards ceremony was thrown into turmoil after Smith jumped on stage and slapped the comedian after he made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head.
Speaking to Deadline, ABC president Craig Erwich said that 2022’s show had been “really successful” in spite of the slap.
He did joke last week, however, that “anyone who says ‘words hurt’ has never been punched in the face”.
Rock has briefly joked about the altercation with Smith while performing on stage, but has stressed that he’ll explore it in more detail in a future Netflix special.