Ticket Sales for Chris Rock’s Stand-Up Show Surge After Will Smith Oscars Slap

Actor Chris Rock speaks onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., on March 27, 2022. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Ticket sales for Chris Rock’s stand-up comedy tour have surged in the past two days after actor Will Smith smacked the presenter across the face during a live broadcast of the 94th Academy Awards ceremony, also referred to as the Oscars, on March 27.

StubHub, an American ticket exchange and resale company, told The Hollywood Reporter that in each of the two days after the Oscars, daily sales for Rock’s tour were 25 times higher than in the past month, and the total sales over the same 48-hour period exceeded sales for Rock’s tour for the entire month of March 2022.

Furthermore, the average price of tickets sold increased from between $150–$200 a ticket to about $250 a ticket.

“Now that we are 48 hours from Sunday evening, it’s evident that demand for Chris Rock shows has jumped dramatically, based on our ticket-buying trends on StubHub,” Mike Silveira, spokesperson for StubHub, told The Hollywood Reporter. “At this stage in his tour, on an average day, we’d expect to see a spike in sales in the 24 or 48 hours prior to a show date as last-minute sales roll in—but it is incredibly unusual to see the spike we have experienced.

“With daily sales remarkably more than 25 times higher than the average we have seen in the last month, we anticipate this interest will likely sustain for a short time,” Silveira added.

Comedian Rock hit headlines March 27 when he was hit across the face by Smith, who was nominated for the Best Actor award for his role as Richard Williams—the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams—in the film “King Richard.”

Rock, who was presenting the show, poked fun at some of the nominees and attendees at this year’s awards, including Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Pinkett Smith revealed in 2021 that she has been battling the autoimmune disorder alopecia, which can cause rapid hair loss and balding.

Rock made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, telling her, “Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane II, can’t wait to see it,” in reference to the 1997 film “G.I. Jane” in which actress Demi Moore shaved her head.

While Smith initially appeared to laugh at the joke, Pinkett Smith appeared less impressed and could be seen on camera rolling her eyes. Shortly after, Smith walked on stage and approached Rock before throwing an open hand at his face.

“Oh, wow! Wow! Will Smith just smacked the [expletive] out of me,” a visibly shocked Rock said to the audience, before telling Smith, “Wow, dude. It was a G.I. Jane joke.”

Smith promptly replied, “Keep my wife’s name out of your [expletive] mouth” before repeating the comment.

“I’m going to,” Rock responded, adding “that’s the greatest night in the history of television.”

Smith has since issued an apology to Rock in which he stated that “violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive” and that his behavior at the awards ceremony was “unacceptable and inexcusable.”

“Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,” he wrote in an Instagram post.

“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong,” Smith continued. “I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

He also apologized to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which is the group that oversees the awards ceremony, stating “I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us” and that he is a “work in progress.”

Prior to the actor’s apology, the academy had issued its own statement saying that it “does not condone violence of any form.”

Rock has yet to address the incident.