Chris Rock reveals in Phoenix that he was asked to host the Oscars but he refused... likening it to returning to the scene of the crime after Will Smith slap
Months after Will Smith slapped him on the Oscar stage, Chris Rock revealed during a stand-up performance the Academy asked him to host the Oscars.
Rock, 57, was performing stand-up comedy in Phoenix at the Arizona Financial Theatre on Sunday, when he revealed that he declined to return to host.
The comedian, who previously hosted the Oscars in 2005 and 2016, essentially compared returning to the Dolby Theatre like returning to the scene of a crime.
![No host: Months after Will Smith slapped him on the Oscar stage, Chris Rock revealed during a stand-up performance the Academy asked him to host the Oscars](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08/30/01/61852005-11158763-image-a-29_1661820496111.jpg)
No host: Months after Will Smith slapped him on the Oscar stage, Chris Rock revealed during a stand-up performance the Academy asked him to host the Oscars
Rock said that asking him to go back would be like asking Nicole Brown Simpson, 'to go back to the restaurant,' referencing the late wife of O.J. Simpson.
Nicole was dining at an Italian restaurant and left her sunglasses there, with waiter Ron Goldman returning to glasses to her before they were both brutally murdered outside of her home.
The comedian also revealed during the performance that he was asked to do a Super Bowl commercial in the aftermath of the slap, but he turned that down as well.
![Go back: Rock said that asking him to go back would be like asking Nicole Brown Simpson, 'to go back to the restaurant,' referencing the late wife of O.J. Simpson](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08/30/01/61852007-11158763-image-a-30_1661820677673.jpg)
Go back: Rock said that asking him to go back would be like asking Nicole Brown Simpson, 'to go back to the restaurant,' referencing the late wife of O.J. Simpson
Rock wouldn't get into specifics about what company asked him to star in the Super Bowl spot.
When he was prompted by an audience member to 'Talk about it,' referring to Smith's slap, Rock admitted that it did hurt, adding that Smith did play boxing legend Muhammad Ali at one point in his career.
'He’s bigger than me. The state of Nevada would not sanction a fight between me and Will Smith,' Smith said during the show.
![Slap: When he was prompted by an audience member to 'Talk about it,' referring to Smith's slap, Rock admitted that it did hurt, adding that Smith did play boxing legend Muhammad Ali at one point in his career](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08/30/01/61852027-11158763-image-a-31_1661820702852.jpg)
Slap: When he was prompted by an audience member to 'Talk about it,' referring to Smith's slap, Rock admitted that it did hurt, adding that Smith did play boxing legend Muhammad Ali at one point in his career
Rock was presenting the Best Documentary award at the Oscars in late March, when he made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, having bald hair and starring in G.I. Jane 2.
Jada was seen rolling her eyes at the joke and moments later, Will strode up on stage and slapped a stunned Rock.
Smith was banned from The Academy and all of its events for 10 years in the aftermath of the now-infamous slap.
![Stunned: Jada was seen rolling her eyes at the joke and moments later, Will strode up on stage and slapped a stunned Rock](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08/30/03/61854561-11158763-image-m-15_1661827861557.jpg)
Stunned: Jada was seen rolling her eyes at the joke and moments later, Will strode up on stage and slapped a stunned Rock
While Smith has apologized for his actions, Rock hasn't spoken much about the slap in the past five months.
During Smith's video apology, he revealed that he has reached out to Rock personally but the comedian was 'not ready' to talk to him quite yet.
Rock has briefly mentioned the incident during Ego Death stand-up comedy tour, though he has not done a full set about it.
![Not talked: While Smith has apologized for his actions, Rock hasn't spoken much about the slap in the past five months](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08/30/01/61852013-11158763-image-a-34_1661820912462.jpg)
Not talked: While Smith has apologized for his actions, Rock hasn't spoken much about the slap in the past five months
![Not ready: During Smith's video apology, he revealed that he has reached out to Rock personally but the comedian was 'not ready' to talk to him quite yet](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08/30/03/61852019-11158763-Not_ready_During_Smith_s_video_apology_he_revealed_that_he_has_r-a-13_1661827821336.jpg)
Not ready: During Smith's video apology, he revealed that he has reached out to Rock personally but the comedian was 'not ready' to talk to him quite yet
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