Chris Rock's Reason for Turning Down 2023 Oscar Hosting Gig Is Spot-On

It was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel who had already been the host back in 2017 and 2018. Few people know that the event could have been emceed by Chris Rock — the 2022 host who was slapped by Will Smith in front of the celebrity audience. The two have allegedly reconciled since then, but in a recent Netflix comedy special, Rock admitted he was not able to forget the incident.

Having hosted the ceremony four times, Chris Rock may be legitimately called an Oscars regular. It is no wonder, however, that the comedian refused to host it for the third time in a row after being slapped on stage.

Although he had played cool with the whole incident when it happened, Rock recently said that it impacted him not in the best ways. "I got Summertime ringing in my ear," he joked on his special. In reality, the comedian refused to talk about it with interviewers, including Oprah Winfrey. He said he wasn't going to make a victim out of himself, but nobody is able to predict repercussions certain events may have on one's mental well-being.

Indeed, Rock disappeared from Hollywood shortly after the incident and didn't speak much about it until earlier this year when he released the special called Selective Outrage. Having thoroughly processed what had happened almost a year ago, the comedian spoke up about the humiliation he faced at the hands of the person whose work he had supported for years. Chris also meditated on how loosely the Academy and the audience took the slap back in 2022.

Nonetheless, he didn't turn himself into a victim just like he'd said a year ago, keeping his professional integrity.

"Chris Rock handle[d] both the slap and his stand up special with class. Thank you Chris Rock," Adr Pals wrote in a YouTube comment.

This year's host and another regular at the Oscars, Jimmy Kimmel called out the Academy and the audience in his monologue. Though parts of his speech were considered blunt and even rude by some viewers, the late-night talk show host addressed the problem, which is apparently still there. Until such issues are not dealt with internally, Chris Rock was right to turn down the offer to host another ceremony, which would feel like going back to a crime scene — and that's the exact comparison he used talking about the incident on one of his shows.