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Chris Rock took a break from his busy tour schedule to spend time with his daughter Zahra, 17. The comedian, 57, was spotted out and about in New York City with his youngest daughter for a casual stroll on Wednesday, April 27 — exactly four weeks after Rock was slapped by Will Smith at the Academy Awards.
The Grown-Ups star bundled up in a light blue lined bomber jacket with a hoodie, along with a matching navy beanie. He paired both with an olive green cargo pant, white sneakers and a circle shaped pair of wireframe glasses. Meanwhile Zahra, who he shares with ex-wife Malaak Compton-Rock, went with a straight leg pair of jeans, Doc Martin shoes and a brown leather jacket with shearling detail.
Chris has yet to fully address the controversial slap, which happened after he cracked a joke about Will’s wife Jada Pinkett-Smith, who suffers from alopecia. “G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it!” Rock quipped on-stage, in reference to Jada’s bald head. While the Red Table Talk host initially she laughed, she looked displeased seconds later — which seemingly prompted Will to get up from his seat and walk onto the stage to slap Chris on live television.
In his first stand-up comedy show in Boston, Chris told the crowd that he was “still processing” what had happened — and “didn’t have a bunch of s—” planned for them about the incident. In another show in Palm Springs, he said he wouldn’t be talking about what happened unless he was “paid.”
Will addressed Chris in a public apology to his Instagram a day after the show. “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,” Will said.
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness,” he also wrote. Following the incident, Will was banned from attending the Oscars for a decade. He also stepped down from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, meaning he will no longer vote in the organization.