Chris Rock abruptly ended his surprise performance at a billionaire’s holiday party by walking off the set in the middle of his performance.
The party was held by Anthony Pratt, executive chairman of Pratt Industries. The event which took place at the Mandarin Oriental was attended by wealthy elites.
However, it took a turn when Rock reportedly became upset about being videotaped. This led him to leave the stage only minutes after starting his performance.
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The 59-year-old comedian was hired to perform alongside comedian Wali Collins and country singer Keith Urban at the exclusive soirée, according to the New York Post.
Rock’s appearance was unannounced to guests, as it was meant to entertain Pratt’s VIP crowd.
Chris Rock began his set in casual attire with a joke about U.S. politics. “Our new push will be outer space. We’ll put all the Mexicans on the rockets,” a comment that drew lots of laughs from the Australian elite in attendance.
However, reports indicate that Rock suddenly cut his performance short after he spotted something in the audience.
“He saw something the audience did not,” Adams wrote. “Whatever he saw—or thought he saw—upset him.”
According to Adams, Rock shouted something about not being videotaped or recorded, then abruptly walked off his set.
“He didn’t complain, didn’t explain, didn’t do one more minute,” she said, describing how he “barreled quickly, forcefully, through people to the exit doors.”
“He kept b****ing loudly and, without a second’s hesitation, stormed out—never to return,” Adams added.
The incident at Pratt’s holiday party is the latest in a string of headline-making moments for Rock.
Rock’s dramatic exit also comes close to three years after his infamous altercation with Will Smith during the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022.
In 2022 at that event, Smith slapped Rock onstage after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.
That incident is now widely referred to as “The Slap Heard Around the World.”
Chris Rock has previously discussed his diagnosis of nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD), which he said affects his ability to interpret nonverbal cues in conversations, and it may be the reason he walked off the set.
“It’s great for writing jokes but not one-on-one relationships,” Rock said in a past interview. “And all I understand are the words. I’d always just chalked it up to being famous.”
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For now, neither Rock nor Pratt has commented publicly on the incident.
