Will Smith “Embarrassed and Hurt” by Chris Rock’s Low Blow Jokes in Netflix Special: Report

Will Smith has moved on and he thinks Chris Rock needs to as well. The actor is reportedly “embarrassed and hurt” by the jokes in Rock’s latest comedy special, Selective Outrage, which debuted live on Netflix last Saturday (March 4).

According to Entertainment Tonight, Smith didn’t watch the special but is “embarrassed and hurt by what Chris said about him and his family.”

In Selective Outrage, Rock not only addressed the infamous Oscars slap, but also made comments about the “entanglement” discourse that surrounded Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, years prior. 

The ET source added, “Will apologized to Chris and would like for Chris to let it go.”

The Emancipation actor has publicly apologized to Rock multiple times. In one statement, which he shared on Instagram, Smith called his behavior at the awards show “unacceptable and inexcusable.” However, a recent report from Page Six suggested that Smith hasn’t personally apologized to the comedian. 

ET continued to report, “Will has worked on himself and he is banned by the Oscars for 10 years. He feels like that’s enough and wants Chris to move on, so that he and everyone else can too.” The source claimed that Smith is “upset” that Netflix gave Rock a platform to “share these messages,” calling it “distasteful” — specifically in regards to Rock insulting Pinkett Smith again. 

During the (now edited) comedy special, Rock proclaimed, “She [Pinkett Smith] started this shit. She said that me, a fucking grown ass man, should quit his job because ‘My husband didn’t get nominated for Concussion.'”

Luckily for Smith and his fam, it seems as though Rock is ready to move forward now that he’s said his piece. Another source for ET stated that Rock “said everything he wanted to say.” The source added, “It was funny, self-deprecating, and thought-provoking,” and now, “Chris is ready to move on.”

Personally, I feel as thought it’s time to stop talking about The Slap; but nonetheless, Netflix subscribers gathered in masses to watch Rock’s comedy special and effectively bumped the title into the Top 10 list in the United States after just one day of streaming. So, the feeling is not universal.