Chappelle’s latest Netflix special furthered the discourse on this particular event.

With the 2022 Academy Awards seeing the Will Smith/Chris Rock Oscar slap take place in real time, the world went from amused to stunned with blazing speed. The moment seemed to happen so fast that people like comedian Dave Chappelle didn’t think it was a real altercation in the moment.

However, during his recent new on Netflix special Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer, the comedian clarified how he confirmed Smith’s slap was indeed real. Furthermore, Dave shared how he sees both men almost two years after the incident.

(Image credit: Netflix)

How Dave Chappelle Confirmed Chris Rock’s Slap Was Real

With The Dreamer instantly dividing the internet, the stand-up outing has been courting controversy since day one. That much was true when former congressman Madison Cawthorn responded to Chappelle, as a joke involving his physical disabilities was part of the show.

So when it came to Dave’s thoughts on the slap heard ‘round the world, this story from the special explains how Mr. Chappelle navigated himself to the truth:

Chris got slapped in the face at the Oscars, which was one of the craziest things I’d ever seen. In fact, if you watched it live on television, like I did, when it happened I thought it was fake. I did. I wasn’t sure, so I waited, because unlike you I know Chris. I waited 30 – 40 minutes, long enough for him to get to another party. And I called him on FaceTime, and he picked up. … I asked him, I go, ‘Well, did it hurt?’ And he said, ‘Yes, n—a, it hurt!’ And then I knew that it was real. And then, and only then, was I offended.

To be totally honest, Dave Chappelle’s evaluation of the moment is pretty spot on; especially if you were watching the U.S. broadcast version of events. While it wouldn’t take long for uncensored videos to hit social media, the immediate chain of events was so quick and so confusing that many viewers couldn’t make heads or tails of what had happened.

Once the truth was established, it set off a chain of events, and the eventual anticipation of what Chris Rock would have to say about the moment. Chappelle went on to discuss how, while touring with Rock in the post-slap era, he too was looking forward to what the legendary comedian would say about the matter. That moment would eventually arrive through Rock’s remarks during Selective Outrage, a comedy set that, as promised, became the Netflix special that broke his silence.

Naturally, Dave moved into some more light-hearted humor surrounding Chris’ remarks on tour. Seeing as he was talking about his friend, and how he chose to discuss the shocking moment, it wasn’t going to be a totally somber affair. That being said, Chappelle’s friendship with the actor didn’t change the fact that as the night would go on, he’d take a moment to reflect on how he saw both the comedian and actor Will Smith almost two years on from this incident.

(Image credit: Entertainment Tonight)

How Dave Chappelle Sees Chris Rock And Will Smith After The Slap

At the same time, Dave Chappelle’s feelings about the aftermath nearly two years after the Oscar slap were just as intriguing. Toward the end of The Dreamer, the Chappelle’s Show mastermind shared exactly those sentiments. In one of the more serious moments of the night, Dave laid out the following reasons why he isn’t keen on picking sides:

That’s why I don’t judge between Will Smith and Chris Rock. Because you guys look at them as big ideas, but I look at them as fellow dreamers. I can’t judge between them, because I see myself in both of them. I am Will Smith. I am the man that cannot take it anymore, and will slap the shit out of the next person that says a cross word to me, or somebody that I love. And I am Chris Rock. I am the man that can get slapped, in front of the whole world, and keep my composure, so I don’t fuck anything up. That is what men do.

While his comedy has drawn heat in recent times, Dave Chappelle still managed to provide some commentary that kept his audience thinking. The merits of his own material and worldviews aside, it’s refreshing to see such an approach that examines both sides of the matter that transpired. To me it’s still an interesting case of nuance that one might not expect from a night of stand-up comedy.

If you’re curious to see how Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer turned out, controversy and all, you can do so at your earliest convenience. All you need to do is choose the preferred device to access your Netflix subscription, and you can get caught up on this conversation starter.