BY NICK A. ZAINO III – March 30, 2022
When Chris Rock stepped onstage at the Wilbur in Boston to kick off his Ego Death World Tour on Wednesday night, he knew there was an issue to address. “How was your weekend?” he asked the sold-out crowd.
The question drew a big laugh. Rock didn’t have a great weekend. This was his first gig since the slap, or when Will Smith strode onstage at the 94th Academy Awards ceremony and slapped Rock for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, Smith’s wife. “Jada, I love ya, G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it,” Rock said, pointing to the couple in the crowd. Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes. She has alopecia, so a joke about her shaved head struck a nerve. Ever since Smith slapped Rock, public discourse has been dominated by the incident, from the history of abuse surrounding Black hair to the safety of performers onstage.
Full article here: Review: In his first post-Oscars standup set, Chris Rock was as stunned as you about the slap