Chris rock's unfortunate moment at last year's Oscars has earned more attention, and D.L. Hughley is defending his friend. Will Smith has been the target of critics since he stormed the Academy Awards stage and slapped Rock. It occurred following Rock's quip about Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head, and it caused the actress to become a punching bag of trolls and comedians. The Smiths have addressed the controversy, and Will repeatedly apologized, but it wasn't enough. Rock again went after the Smiths in his latest Netflix comedy special, Selective Outrage. However, his approach gained mixed reactions.
Journalist Candace McDuffie, a writer for The Root, said that Rock made a career from telling jokes at the expense of Black women. Many have argued that this was seen in Selective Outrage, and McDuffie added that Rock deserved the slap from Smith. Comedian D. L. Hughley knows both Rock and Smith, and he's been a fierce defender of the Never Scared icon. TMZ caught up with Hughley and wanted his thoughts on the controversy.
Hughley Defends Chris Rock Once Again
"It's kinda crazy to me that if you thought the slap was justified and you think that the comedy was too far, I think that's ironic," said Hughley. "I think that it's ironic that you think that one response to a joke was violence, and that's justified, but response to violence with a joke, that isn't. That seems to be the tone of the special."
"I d think it's ironic that everybody got a chance to respond about that slap, except the man that got slapped," Hughley further stated. "And when he responds, it causes this sort of upheaval. I don't think we should ever have the right to tell somebody how or when or what's appropriate for their response." Additionally, Hughley rejected the notion that Rock made sweeping, insulting remarks about Black women as a whole. Hughley also made it a point not to say Jada's name specifically.
Not All Black Women, Just Jada...And Meghan Markle
"He talked about one Black woman, there are millions of them. So, I don't know how a conversation—and honestly, the reason we know about the Black woman that he referenced in the special is because they make it their business to let us know what's going on." He also mentioned Meghan Markle, who was also targeted by Rock in his special. Hughley argued that she, too, speaks openly about her personal life.
However, detractors have clapped back at Hughley's take. Rock has been called out for decades for his remarks about Black women, but his repeated attention to Jada has sparked rumors to fly. Last week, a report stated Rock once attempted to romance Pinkett, but she rejected him. Meanwhile, Rock's supporters, like Hughley, have come to his defense from one outlet to the next. Check out D.L. Hughley above.
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