Chris Rock Reportedly Turned Down Offer To Host 2023 Oscars Because That Would "Be Like Returning To The Scene Of The Crime"

Chris Rock claims he turned down an offer to host the Oscars in 2023.

Rock — who previously helmed the Academy Awards in 2005 and 2016 — has declined to return to host following the incident at this year's ceremony where he was slapped by Will Smith on stage after making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

As reported by the Arizona Republic, Rock was performing a stand-up comedy show in Phoenix, Arizona over the weekend when he addressed the situation.

He reportedly said if he were to accept the hosting gig, it would be like returning to the scene of a crime, referencing the murder of OJ Simpson's ex-wife Nicola Brown Simpson, which started with her leaving a pair of eyeglasses at an Italian restaurant. Rock said hosting the Oscars would be like asking her to "go back to the restaurant".

Rock is also said to have been offered a Super Bowl commercial in the aftermath of the incident, but also passed on that. 

An audience member urged him to "talk about" the slap, and he referenced Smith's role as Muhammad Ali in 2001's Ali.

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

Smith struck Rock across the face less than an hour before picking up his Best Actor statuette for his role in King Richard at the Oscars back in March.

Last month, Smith apologised and reached out to Rock publicly via a YouTube video, while claiming he had been hurt both "psychologically and emotionally" by the incident.

He said: "It's all fuzzy. I will say to you, Chris, I apologise to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I'm here whenever you're ready to talk.

"I hate when I let people down. So it hurts, it hurts me psychologically and emotionally to know I didn't live up to people's image and impression of me.

"And the work I'm trying to do is, I am deeply remorseful and I'm trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself.

"I'm human and I made a mistake, and I'm trying not to think of myself as a piece of s***."

Last week, newly appointed Academy CEO Bill Kramer said (per Hollywood Reporter) they are "committed to having a host on the show this year" and "already looking at some key partners on that." He also emphasised that Slapgate will not be a topic of discussion or jokes at next year's ceremony.

He added, "We want to move forward and to have an Oscars that celebrates cinema. That's our focus right now." — BANG SHOWBIZ

Photo: TPG News/Click Photos