Overview
- In a Variety interview published Tuesday, Chris Rock said he wishes the 2022 Oscars incident in which Will Smith struck him never happened and expressed a desire to move past the moment.
- Rock told the magazine that he will not attend the Oscars unless he is formally nominated for an award, saying a nomination is the only condition that would bring him back.
- The remarks came while Rock was promoting Misty Green, his new film premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, and he asked that coverage not distract from lead actor Rosalind Eleazar.
- Rock also disclosed a 2020 diagnosis of a nonverbal learning disorder and described how therapy and personal growth have changed his work and perspective.
- The Academy’s 10-year ban on Will Smith remains in effect and recent outside comments about the 2022 episode have drawn attention but produced no institutional changes or new public responses from Smith or Rock.