Chris Rock calls Will Smith’s online apology ‘hostage video’

Los Angeles, Sep. 5 (IANS): Comedian Chris Rock has tagged Hollywood star Will Smith’s online apology for slapping him at the Oscars as “hostage video”.

The 57-year-old comic made the statement during another of his stand-up sets alongside Dave Chappelle as part of the pair’s new joint comedy tour, reports aceshowbiz.com.

Referring to 53-year-old Smith’s apology video released in July, Chris said, “F*** your hostage video”.

The comic also used the set to refer to Will as “Suge Smith”, in reference to the thuggish and imprisoned Death Row Records executive Suge Knight.

Rock told fans, who attended his and Dave’s performance at Liverpool’s M and S Arena, Will had managed to do an impersonation of a “perfect man for 30 years” before showing he is “just as ugly as the rest of us”.

This is the first time the comic had extensively shared his feelings about being slapped by Will at this year’s Oscars.

Dave asked Chris in front of the crowd, “Did that s**t hurt?” prompting Chris to exclaim, “Goddam right… the motherf**ker hit me over a bulls**t joke – the nicest joke I ever told.”

He added, “Will did the impression of a perfect person for 30 years, and he ripped his mask off and showed us he was as ugly as the rest of us. Whatever the consequences are… I hope he doesn’t put his mask back on again, and lets his real face breathe. I see myself in both men.”

Earlier this year, Smith stormed the stage at the Academy Awards in March and whacked Chris after the comic compared his wife’s shaven head to actress Demi Moore’s buzzcut in the 1997 film ‘G.I. Jane’.

Smith then twice howled from his seat in front of stunned A-listers and while watched by millions of film fans around the world, “Keep my wife’s name out your f**king mouth”.

It was then revealed that Smith’s wife of 25 years Jada Pinkett Smith had shaved it as she suffers hair loss-causing alopecia.

While issuing a grovelling apology in his online video in July, Will admitted Rock has not responded to his attempts to reach out.

He said, “So I will say to you, Chris, I apologise to you. My behaviour was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”