Stand-up legend Chris Rock already faced some backlash for his Selective Outrage comedy special on Netflix. Critics took issue with the way the comedian addressed the infamous Oscar Slap by Will Smith.
Chris Rock is also catching heat for seemingly comparing Michael Jackson to R. Kelly. One comedic bit featured Rock claiming only some people face the wrath of so-called cancel culture for committing the same acts as others.
A jury acquitted Michael Jackson of child molestation charges in 2005. R. Kelly was found guilty of sex trafficking and child pornography charges in two different jurisdictions between 2021 and 2022.
Taj Jackson, the nephew of Michael Jackson, addressed Chris Rock’s joke about his deceased family member. The widely-recognized King of Pop died in 2009 from a reported drug overdose.
Taj Jackson Thanks Will Smith For Slapping Chris Rock
“Chris Rock has used my family as punching bags for his entire career. Yet I am supposed to feel bad for him getting slapped and humiliated on the Oscars,” tweeted Taj Jackson on Monday.
The 3T member added, “After seeing a new clip of him attacking my dead uncle in the first minutes of his ‘Retaliation-I’m still relevant’ special, I have 3 things to say.”
He continued, “1. What did my family ever do to you to warrant these decades of harassment and your constant bullying [disguised] as jokes? 2. Just because you were bullied early on in life doesn’t give you the excuse to bully others now. 3. Thank you, Will Smith.”
Chris Rock has used my family as punching bags for his entire career.
— Taj Jackson (@tajjackson3) March 6, 2023
Yet I am supposed to feel bad for him getting slapped and humiliated on the Oscars.
After seeing a new clip of him attacking my dead uncle in the first minutes of his “Retaliation-I’m still relevant ”special,…
The Oscar Slap Overshadowed The 2022 Academy Award Ceremony
The 94th Academy Awards became a trending topic around the world after Best Actor winner Will Smith smacked Chris Rock in the face during the live broadcast. The Oscar Slap led to Smith receiving a 10-year ban from any Academy event.
Rock made fun of Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head during that 2022 Oscar ceremony. Will Smith’s wife suffers hair loss from the medical condition known as alopecia areata. Smith eventually apologized to Rock in a YouTube video.
“Keep my wife’s name out your f###### mouth!” became an internet meme after Smith shouted that at Rock from his seat at the Academy Awards following his on-stage assault. Rock responded at the time, “That was the greatest night in the history of television.”