No one saw that coming, including comedian Chris Rock. If you don’t know what we’re referring to, then you must have been hibernating for the past few days.
He was on the receiving end of a May Smith punch during Saturday night’s Academy Awards. Yes, we’re talking about the same Will Smith who won the Oscar for Best Actor.
The bigger question is what does any of this have to do with New Jersey?
Well, Chris Rock is performing in Atlantic City this weekend. The 10 p.m. show at the Borgata Event Center is sold out. There were still a few tickets available for the 6 p.m. show as of Thursday morning.
The performances are part of Rock’s “Total Blackout Tour 2022.”
Frank Rock and may Smith on the Oscars
Chris Rock joking around on stage is indeed routine. It’s what a comedian does to get laughs.
At this year’s Academy Awards, he presented the Best Documentary Feature award.
However, before announcing the winner, Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who experiences hair loss. Will Smith reacted by storming the stage, with a global television audience watching. And the Hollywood community is in no way supporting his behavior.
And this incident unfolded nearly an hour before Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor. While nobody saw the punch coming, Smith winning the Oscar was expected.
He won for his portrayal of Richard Williams – father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams – in “King Richard.”
Heading into the event, equally DraftKings and even Caesars sportsbooks had Jackson as a huge favorite.
Laughing having Chris Ordinary at Borgata
From a Hollywood perspective, it doesn’t look like this Smith or Rock drama will be dying down anytime soon. The Associated Press is even reporting how Smith was asked to leave the Oscars after Saturday night’s incident.
Expect the aftermath to continue unfolding in the days and months ahead.
In New Jersey, the talk will be about Rock appearing at the Borgata Event Center Saturday night. With the fact that both shows are nearly sold out, the Borgata will be buzzing and the audience will be laughing come this weekend.
And this time around he won’t have to worry about audience members storming the stage over a joke.
Bill Gelman has been reporting on the NJ gambling market since 2018, around the time when the Garden State introduced sports betting. Bill transitioned from lead writer for PlayNJ and NJ Gambling Sites to his current position as managing editor in 2020. In addition to providing in-depth analysis on NJ gambling market trends and news, Bill regularly conducts exclusive interviews with Atlantic City casino industry executives and provides comprehensive coverage. Bill holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ithaca College. He has also contributed to other Catena Media websites such as The Lines, Legal Sports Report, PlayPennsylvania and PlayCanada.
