I was hit so hard it hurt… he did play Muhammad Ali, says Chris Rock as he breaks silence on Will Smith’s slap
CHRIS Rock has broken his silence on what it was like being hit by Will Smith.
Speaking for the first time about the incident almost a year ago as he hosted the Oscars, the comic said: “The thing people want to know . . . did it hurt? Hell yeah, it hurt.”
GettyChris Rock has broken his silence on what it was like being hit by Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars[/caption]
Chris was whacked on stage by the A-list star of movies including Men In Black and Independence Day after he made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s buzz cut, despite it being well known she suffers from the hair loss condition alopecia.
Opening up about the clash, Chris said Will had an advantage over him because of his size and joked about the film roles they had landed reflecting their physiques.
Chris said of Will: “He played Muhammad Ali! I played Pookie (in New Jack City).
“Even in animated movies, I’m a zebra, he’s a f***ing shark.”
He also made sure he got an extra laugh by mocking Will’s 1991 hit song, adding: “I got hit so hard I heard Summertime ringing in my ears.”
Chris makes the comments in his new Netflix special Selective Outrage, his live show from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore in the US which will be streamed a week before this month’s Oscars on March 13.
After the incident Will, who picked up the Best Actor gong for his role in King Richard on the same evening, was banned from the ceremony for a decade.
And while he was allowed to keep hold of his gong, his new Apple+ film Emancipation was snubbed by the Academy this year, not receiving a single nod.
His career has started to bounce back however, just like Chris’s.
I exclusively revealed in January how Disney was lining up Will for a return as Aladdin for a sequel to the 2019 live action remake.
SplashChris Rock revealed the slap di hurt as he spoke for the first time about the incident[/caption]
A film insider said at the time: “He has done a lot of work on himself and the consensus is that it will all be very much in the past by the time the movie is released.
“The first film was a huge success so it would be silly not to make another and it would be a real shame to have to re-cast Will over what happened.”
And with his latest show Chris is getting as much mileage out of his slapping too.
Ellie and Maisie’s back to black
BLACK is back in style according to Ellie Bamber and Maisie Williams.
The pair wore these Gothic outfits to Yves Saint Lauren’s Paris Fashion Week Show.
GettyEllie Bamber wore a black mesh outfit to the YSL show at Paris Fashion Week[/caption]
The Mega AgencyGame Of Thrones star Maisie Williams wore a belted dress with a gilet and lace up heels[/caption]
Actress Ellie was in this sheer, long-sleeved gown from the designer while Game Of Thrones star Maisie wore this belted dress with a gilet and lace up heels.
Ellie took a break from new film Moss And Freud to make an appearance at the catwalk show.
She was handpicked by supermodel Kate Moss to play her in the biopic, which tells the story of when she modelled for Lucien Freud in 2002.
Kate posed nude for the artist three nights a week for five hours while pregnant with daughter Lila.
The painting sold at Christies for £3.5million.
Kate said of picking Ellie: “I am thrilled by the recent casting and excited that the film will begin shooting soon. I cannot wait to see it.”
With all that posing with her clothes off, Ellie must have felt totally covered in this see-through outfit.
Ozzy’s return
OZZY Osbourne has insisted he will return to live shows despite having to cancel his latest tour because of his ill health.
During a spirited interview in the US, Ozzy said he was in significant pain but said he’d be back as soon as doctors gave him the nod.
The Black Sabbath rocker said: “I’m f***ing not dying, I am still in constant pain.”
Ozzy added on Sirius XM: “I have been working my guts out to try and get back on my feet. I’ve come to the point where Sharon says to me, ‘You know what? You can’t keep booking tours and failing, cancelling. It is not fair to the punters’.
“So, if I can ever get back to where I can tour again, fine.
“But right now, if you said to me, ‘Can you go on the road in a month?’ I couldn’t say yes. I mean, if I could tour, I’d tour. But right now I can’t book tours because right now I don’t think I could pull them off.”
Madonna’s monster tour
MADONNA wants to bring back some of her most iconic looks for her Celebration Tour – including her Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra.
The Queen of Pop’s tour doesn’t kick off for another four and a half months but she is already hard at work putting together the show.
GettyMadonna wants to bring back her iconic cone bra for her Celebration Tour[/caption]
She wants to pay homage to previous stage looks, including the cone bra worn on her 1990 Blond Ambition tour and has started speaking to designers.
Madge has also already been in the rehearsal studio, whittling down the setlist and practising her choreography ahead of the 72-date greatest hits tour.
A music insider said: “Madonna will be reflecting on her entire career in the tour and that won’t just be the music – it will be the clothes too.
“She wants to wear updated versions of her most recognisable outfits and the cone bra is at the top of the list.
“She has been a trailblazer with her fashion and is getting a lot of her designer friends involved in helping her.
“Madonna is putting absolutely everything into this show and is laser focused on making it a spectacle which the fans will adore.
“Every single detail is being thought over at length. It will be well worth the wait.”
The tour will kick off in Vancouver, Canada, in July then land in Europe in October, with six UK dates at London’s O2 Arena.
Bieber tour drama
JUSTIN Bieber has cancelled the remaining dates on his Justice World Tour as he focuses on his health.
The Never Say Never singer had put the tour on hold but has now officially axed the dates and given a refund to fans who had booked to see him at London’s O2 Arena.
They received emails from AXS which read: “We regret to inform you that the Justin Bieber shows planned to take place at The O2 arena have been cancelled.
“We understand you will be disappointed and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
Justin first put the brakes on the tour last June after revealing he had suffered from facial paralysis after being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome.
He said at the time: “I’ve done everything to get better but my sickness is getting worse.”
It’s easy being green for Rebel
REBEL Wilson beamed with pride while out and about in New York City – but she wasn’t so perky after getting engaged last month.
The actress showed off her trim frame in this bright green wrap-around shirt dress after filming The Drew Barrymore Show, where she revealed she collapsed after popping the question.
GettyRebel Wilson stunned in a bright green shirt ress as she filmed The Drew Barrymore Show[/caption]
Rebel proposed to her jewellery designer partner Ramona Agruma at Disneyland but said the stress of the situation took it out of her.
She recalled: “I had to get special permission to get an area roped off and get the topiary trees in and, you know, I had a violinist playing, like, Disney classics, and it was very, really romantic.
“Afterwards we went on a ride, this new ride they had, and I kind of collapsed afterwards. Because I’d never been engaged before, or proposed to, or proposed. So it was such a huge thing in my life.
“I collapsed on the floor for five minutes. And then I go, ‘OK, I’m good. Let’s get churros and move on’.”
Two-week Eurovision party
THE Eurovision Song Contest is being turned into a two-week party for the first time.
A 14-day EuroFest will run from May 1 to May 14 in host city Liverpool, including a parade and an event called Rave Ukraine, with simultaneous parties in the Scouse city and Kyiv.
AFPUkraine’s Kalush Orchestra won Eurovision last year[/caption]
The local council is also setting up a Eurovision Village at Liverpool Pier Head waterfront, which will have booze on tap for ten days in the lead up to the grand final.
Contract details show it wants bars to serve VIPs, performers and the public in the Eurovision Village, where there will be a stage and shops selling merch.
It is part of at least £570,000 being spent on the event by the council.
Liverpool is hosting the 67th Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of war-torn Ukraine, whose rap band Kalush Orchestra won last year.
Official ticketing details will be announced, revealing that there will be nine possible shows for fans to get into at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena.
There will be two public dress rehearsals ahead of each semi-final and the final which the public will be able to buy tickets to, as well as for the two semi-finals and final themselves.
With all of the hype around Eurovision though, anyone who gets tickets to any of the shows will be very lucky indeed.