Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Chris Rock Just Explained Why He Turned Down An Offer To Host The Oscars–And We Get It

Chris Rock Just Explained Why He Turned Down An Offer To Host The Oscars–And We Get It
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for National Board of Review

For better or worse, comedian Chris Rock is likely the most famous Oscars host of all time after the slapping incident between him and Will Smith at this year's ceremony.

But if you're eager to see Rock host the ceremony again, don't hold your breath.


Rock says he has no interest, despite being asked to return in 2023 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

During a stand-up set in Phoenix, Arizona, Rock likened returning to the Oscars to returning to the scene of a crime, using an analogy about OJ Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson's murder that was equal parts evocative and shocking.

Rock reportedly told the crowd asking him to host the Oscars would be like asking Brown Simpson "to go back to the restaurant," a reference to the Mezzaluna restaurant in Los Angeles where Brown Simpson was last seen before she was murdered.

A waiter from the restaurant, Ron Goldman, was also murdered at her home that night after going there to return eyeglasses Brown Simpson's mother had left on their table during dinner earlier that evening.

Seemingly disinterested in capitalizing on the incident between him and Smith, Rock also revealed in his set he was offered a Super Bowl commercial, which he also declined.

Rock did open up a bit about the now infamous incident, in which Smith slapped Rock on live television during the Oscars after Rock made a joke about Smith's wife Jada Pinkett Smith's hair loss.

He told the crowd the slap hurt, noting Smith had played champion boxer Muhammad Ali in 2001's Ali.

Rock quipped:

“He’s bigger than me. The state of Nevada would not sanction a fight between me and Will Smith.”

Given the nonstop media circus that ensued after the slap, it's easy to understand why Rock isn't eager to take the Oscars stage again.

But his joke about Nicole Brown Simpson did not go over well with many on social media.




Others felt the uproar over his Simpson joke spoke to a double standard given many who defended Rock in the wake of the Oscars slap defended his mocking of Pinkett Smith.


The slapping incident may have been unfortunate, but it seems to have been a boon to the Oscars and the network that airs the ceremony, ABC.

The network's President of Entertainment Craig Erwich told Deadline in May the telecast "came back in a big way" this year after years of declining viewership.

More from Entertainment/tv-and-movies

Screenshot of John Larson
Rep. John Larson/YouTube

Dem Rep. Rips GOP Colleagues For Blocking Musk's Testimony About DOGE In Fiery Rant

Connecticut Democratic Representative John Larson criticized billionaire Elon Musk for not being present to testify at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing about the advisory Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), additionally ripping Musk for pushing for cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

After President Donald Trump appointed Musk to lead DOGE in January, tasking him with rooting out federal government waste and corruption, the department has faced mounting scrutiny. Lawmakers have raised concerns about DOGE’s growing influence on the Trump administration and its decision-making processes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @samstrays_somewhere's Instagram video
@samstrays_somewhere/Instagram

American Influencer Blasted After Snatching Baby Wombat From Its Mother While In Australia

Social media clout-chasing hit another low when an American influencer snatched a screaming baby wombat away from its mother for a content stunt while visiting Australia.

Now, she may be banned from the country.

Keep ReadingShow less
Man looking out into the ocean
Nicholas Barbaros/Unsplash

People Break Down Which Adult Problems No One Prepared Them For

No one can really prepare you for the unique challenges ahead when you start adulting.

Any advice you've been given is certainly helpful, but they don't always apply to unforeseen circumstances.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Break Down How They've Been Genetically Blessed And Cursed

People who draw attention online, especially if they are particularly beautiful, have gorgeous, healthy hair, or are especially talented, are always met with comments like, "God knew I'd be too powerful if I had that" or "If I could do that, I'd be insufferable."

And it does seem to be laughably true that while some people seem to "have it all," there are others who needed to be humbled a little bit, or else they'd be totally insufferable.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scarlett Johansson
Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Scarlett Johansson Gives Iconic Explanation For Why She Won't Take Photos With Fans In Public

MCU Actor Scarlett Johansson recently spoke with InStyle magazine and shared a strict personal policy about not being photographed with fans when she's out in public.

“It really offends a lot of people,” she said, explaining why she wants to avoid fan photos when she's not on a film set.

Keep ReadingShow less