Will Smith ‘hurt’ over Chris Rock’s comments in Netflix special

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Will Smith was “embarrassed” when Chris Rock took aim at him in his recent Netflix comedy special.

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For the first time since he was attacked onstage at last year’s 94th Academy Awards, the 58-year-old comedian sounded off on Will’s surprise slap and Rock joked about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

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“Will is embarrassed and hurt by what Chris said about him and his family in his Netflix special,” a source told Entertainment Tonight. “He didn’t watch it, but he had people tell him what Chris said.”

The couple have also “seen comments about it” and commentary about Rock’s standup set dominated headlines this week.

The insider added that Will has expressed regret for his behaviour and “would like for Chris to let it go.”

Will reportedly thinks the special, in which Rock joked about Jada’s affair with singer August Alsina, woke and cancel culture, Meghan Markle’s royal racism claims, and more, was “distasteful.”

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Telling the crowd that Smith’s slap left him hearing “Summertime ringing in my ears,” Rock blamed Pinkett Smith’s “entanglements” for the actor’s outburst.

“His wife was f—ing her son’s friend. I normally would not talk about this s— … But for some reason, (they) put that s— on the Internet. We all been cheated on. Everybody in here’s been cheated on. None of us have ever been interviewed by the person that cheated on us on television. ‘Hey, I was sucking somebody’s d—. How did that make you feel?’” Rock said, referencing the couple’s decision to publicly address infidelity in their relationship on a Red Table Talk episode.

“He played Muhammed Ali,” Rock further scolded. “I played Pookie in New Jack City.”

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He added that her extramarital relationship with singer August Alsina “hurt (Smith) way more than he hurt me.”

“I love Will Smith. Now I watch Emancipation just to see him get whooped,” Rock jabbed.

But despite the slap, Rock said he’s “not a victim.”

“But I’m not a victim, baby. You will never see me on Oprah (Winfrey) or Gayle (King), crying.”

Will, who was banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years following his outburst, made an emotional apology to Rock in a lengthy Facebook message last summer.

“I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behaviour was unacceptable, and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk,” Will said.

But a source who knows both men said Will still hasn’t personally apologized.

“Will did call Chris last year after the Oscars, but Chris didn’t pick up. And they haven’t spoken since,” an insider told Page Six.

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In response to last year’s events, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has created a crisis team to respond to any mishaps when the Oscars broadcast live from Los Angeles Sunday night.

“It is our hope that we will be prepared for anything,” Academy Chief Executive Bill Kramer told Time magazine in a recent interview. “Because of last year, we’ve opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars.”

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