Topline
Chris Rock said Paul Pelosi, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband who was violently attacked in his home last year, is the only person who knows how he felt after being slapped at last year’s Oscars, making the joke during Sunday’s Mark Twain Prize ceremony at the Kennedy Center and weeks after the comedian spoke out about the slap in his highly anticipated Netflix special.
Chris Rock smiles before the start of the 24th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the … [+]
Key Facts
Nancy and Paul Pelosi—who was assaulted in their San Francisco home in October and underwent surgery to treat a fracture to his skull—attended the event .
“Paul Pelosi, the only guy who knows how I felt…just you and me Paul,” USA Today and journalists at the event reported Rock as saying.
According to the Washington Post, the Pelosis were greeted with roaring applause from the audience.
Rock also joked about former President Donald Trump’s claim that he will be arrested on Tuesday, saying “this is only going to make him more popular.”
Rock added that arresting Trump is like arresting Tupac, “He’s just gonna sell more records,” the Daily Mail reported.
The ceremony honoring Sandler was attended by several stars including Jennifer Aniston, Conan O’Brien, Pete Davidson, Drew Barrymore, Steve Buscemi and Dana Carvey.
Key Background
Rock was slapped on stage during the 2022 Oscars by Will Smith after cracking a joke about the actor’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith. After staying mostly silent about the explosive moment for almost a year, Rock used his most recent comedy special on Netflix to ruthlessly mock both Smith and his wife. Titled Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, the stand up show was Netflix’s first ever live broadcast. In a reference to the title of his show, Rock accused Smith of “selective outrage” as he claimed the slap had more to do with the actor’s relationship problems with his wife than anything else.
Further Reading
Chris Rock jokes Paul Pelosi ‘knows how I felt’ after Oscars slap at Adam Sandler’s Mark Twain Prize ceremony (USA Today)
Chris Rock Mocks Will Smith in Live Netflix Special, Addressing Oscars Slap (New York Times)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/03/20/chris-rock-jokes-paul-pelosi-is-the-only-guy-who-knows-how-i-felt-after-being-slapped/