Chris Rock isn’t ruling out a return to the Oscars stage. The 60-year-old comedian teased the possibility of hosting the prestigious ceremony again, telling E! News at an Oscars after-party, “You never know.”
Rock was the emcee for the event in 2005 and 2016. Three years ago, Rock’s time on the Oscars stage took an unexpected turn when Will Smith slapped him live on air.
The shocking moment came after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, sparking Smith’s onstage reaction. Alluding to that infamous incident, Rock told the outlet, “This is what I would say: the most miserable people on earth are people that can’t forgive. So you never know.”
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He added, “And not just people — you have to forgive yourself sometimes. So, hey, you never know.”
Rock attended this year’s Vanity Fair Oscars Party with his youngest daughter, Zahra, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. The comedian shares Zahra, 20, and Lola Simone, 22, with ex-wife Malaak Compton-Rock.
Meanwhile, Smith remains banned from all Academy events for 10 years following his onstage slap of Rock at the 2022 Oscars. The Men in Black star, now 56, is prohibited from attending the ceremony in person or virtually under Academy guidelines.
The infamous slap dominated the 2022 Oscars, eclipsing the ceremony hosted by Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes.
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Ironically, the night also saw Smith take home the Best Actor award for King Richard.
Asked how he’s moved on from the incident by E! News, Rock said, “I live in forgiveness. True love starts at forgiveness.”
Rock had high praise for the 2024 Oscars, hosted by Conan O’Brien. Calling the show “amazing” and “incredible,” the former host even suggested O’Brien should take on the role annually.
