Returning to the Oscars doesn’t seem particularly appealing to Chris Rock these days. However, before anyone interprets his absence as a major protest against the Academy, the comedian wants to set the record straight. His decision to stay away has less to do with making a statement and more to do with avoiding repeated conversations about one of the most uncomfortable moments of his career.
The topic came up during Rock’s latest GQ Men of the Year interview with Zach Baron, who asked him about his previous declaration that he wouldn’t attend the Oscars again unless he received a nomination. “I mean, it’s not like a threat or anything,” Rock clarified. The 61-year-old acknowledged that everyone saw what happened in 2022, but admitted that revisiting the incident isn’t something he particularly enjoys. His reluctance also extends beyond the Academy Awards, suggesting that he feels the same way about “any awards show.”
Rock initially made the nomination-only statement during a September interview with Variety, where he also reflected on whether his days as an Oscars host were over. “The only way I’ll go back is if I’m nominated, and I’m not getting nominated,” he said at the time. He also applauded Conan O’Brien’s performance as an awards-show host, making it clear that he wasn’t campaigning for another hosting opportunity.
Rock’s reluctance is understandable considering what unfolded during the 2022 ceremony. The comedian was presenting an award when Will Smith walked onto the stage and slapped him following a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. Smith later apologized and was handed a 10-year ban from attending Academy events. Rock eventually addressed the confrontation in detail during his 2023 Netflix special, Selective Outrage, but he has become increasingly unwilling to let the incident dominate conversations about his career.
“Something happened. It wasn’t cool,” he told GQ, making it clear that he’d rather put the situation behind him. Rock admitted that the incident would likely follow him for the rest of his life, regardless of everything he had accomplished before it happened.
He also highlighted the creative projects currently occupying his time, including television and film scripts, as well as a book he’s working on. Rather than constantly revisiting that night, he wants audiences to pay more attention to the work he’s producing. After spending much of his career being celebrated for his words onstage, Rock appears more focused on the creative opportunities waiting for him behind the camera.
