Following the ‘humiliating’ Oscar incident involving a slap from Will Smith, comedian Chris Rock sought therapy with his daughters, as revealed by his close friend, Leslie Jones.
Jones, 56, disclosed details about the March 2022 slap incident. It occurred after Rock, 58, made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, 52, which offended Will Smith, 54. This incident followed Sean Penn’s statement that Smith undermined his Oscar win.
In a new interview with People, Jones revealed the impact of the slap on Rock, emphasizing that it was so ‘humiliating’ that he had to attend therapy with his daughters.
‘That s**t was humiliating. It really affected him. People need to understand his daughters, his parents, saw that. He had to go to counseling with his daughters,’ Jones said, referring to Rock and his daughters Lola, 21, and Zahra, 19.
The incident left Jones ‘so infuriated’ that she felt compelled to intervene. She revealed her strong emotional reaction, stating, ‘You don’t know that I was going to jump in my car and roll up there. I was so f***ing mad on so many levels.’
Jones also shared details about her bond with Rock, mentioning how he played a significant role in her career and always provided the right advice when needed.
Reflecting on the incident, Jones expressed her frustration, saying, ‘For a long a** time I was just mad. Chris Rock did a f***ing joke.’
She also addressed Will Smith’s handling of the situation at the Oscars, suggesting that he could have handled it differently during his acceptance speech for Best Actor, following the slap.
She further criticized the public reaction to Rock’s stand-up special on Netflix, stating, ‘Everybody got pissed off about him doing a special. That’s what comedians do.”
