Chris Rock Comedy Show Attendee Removed in Handcuffs by Boston Police (Video)
Several police officers responded to Chris Rock’s stand-up comedy show Wednesday night in Boston, following an incident involving a fan.
Video recorded by TheWrap showed at least five officers running inside the Wilbur Theatre, where Rock was performing his first live comedy show since Sunday night’s Oscars, where he was slapped onstage by “King Richard” star Will Smith.
As fans outside the Wilbur looked on, officers quickly exited their squad cars and hustled inside the theater. A man was then escorted out of the venue with his hands cuffed behind his back.
Nick Fratamico, who was covering Rock’s performance for TheWrap, reported a father and son were asked to leave the venue for not wearing masks. The father, who is African American, said race was a factor in the way they were treated. At one point, he could be heard saying they had been in the “white section” of the Wilbur. One of the two men was taken away in handcuffs.
TheWrap reached out to the Boston Police Department for more information. The officer on duty in media relations described the incident as a “removal,” and noted “Chris Rock is fine.” The officer said more details would be available in the coming hours once the police report was completed.
A sold out crowd attended the event, with many anxious to hear what Rock might say about Sunday’s confrontation at the Oscars. Rock essentially told everyone to stay tuned.
“I don’t have a bunch of s— about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend. I’m still kind of processing what happened. So, at some point I’ll talk about that s—. And it will be serious and funny,” the comedian told attendees.
Rock has been the subject of intense media coverage since he was interrupted and smacked by Smith after joking about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. The comedian ventured off topic as he presented the best documentary award, and suggested Pinkett Smith could star in a sequel of “G.I. Jane” due to her bald head. Pinkett Smith has been open about having alopecia, which causes hair loss. In response to the joke, Will Smith stormed the stage, slapped Rock in front of the live audience and said, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—ing mouth!”
On Wednesday afternoon, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said it had begun disciplinary hearings against the Oscar-winning “King Richard” star, adding that Smith could face various sanctions for violating its code of conduct, including suspension and expulsion.