John Shearer/kca2012/Getty Images
Chris Rock has reignited interest in the “Madagascar” franchise after saying he would gladly return for another installment — a comment that also had fans wondering whether he and Jada Pinkett Smith have moved past the fallout from Will Smith’s infamous 2022 Oscars slap. In a September 8 interview with Variety, Rock said he was more than ready to voice Marty the zebra again. “It’s probably the biggest movie I’ve ever been in. We did three of them. I pray to God we do one more,” he said, before joking about the personal reason he could use another blockbuster payday. “I got divorced. I don’t have the ‘Madagascar’ money anymore,” he added. Rock also took a lighthearted jab at Ray Romano and the longer-running “Ice Age” animated series.
That clip from the interview went viral online and left many viewers wondering how the actor felt about reteaming with Jada — who was one of his “Madagascar” co-stars — in the wake of Will slapping Rock. “Is he ready to work with Jada Pinkett again?” one user responded on X. “I have a feeling there’s no way Jada would do another Madagascar with Chris,” another speculated. Others took Rock’s eagerness to rejoin the zoo animal franchise as proof that he and the “Set It Off” star were on good terms. “He wants to work with Jada again. Will must’ve had some built up frustration from the past,” one fan wrote.
The same day, Rock addressed the Oscars incident more directly in a Variety cover story, where he was asked about being struck by Smith onstage. Rather than revisit the moment in detail, the comedian minimized its importance. “Me having a bad day is not the biggest — it’s not that important,” he told the outlet. Jada Pinkett Smith has previously spoken about the slap as well, while also sharing details about the complicated history between herself and Rock before the awards-show confrontation.
RELATED: Richard Branson’s Wife Joan Templeman’s Death ‘Could Have Been Prevented,’ Coroner Rules
Chris Rock’s previous beef with Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images
According to Jada, the tension did not begin on Oscars night. During an October 2023 interview with People, the “Red Table Talk” host was asked whether she had reconciled with Rock after Will slapped him during the ceremony. “[N]o, I haven’t talked to Chris,” she said. Jada also pointed back to the 2016 Oscars, when Rock hosted after she had spoken out as part of the #OscarsSoWhite conversation. She had hoped he would step away from the job in solidarity, but he ultimately remained as host.
That People interview also surfaced another surprising chapter in their relationship. Jada said Rock once asked her out after believing rumors that she and Will were divorcing. “And this particular summer, Chris, he thought that we were getting a divorce,” she recalled. “So he called me and basically he was like, ‘I’d love to take you out.’” Jada said she then clarified to her “Madagascar” co-star that the reports about her marriage ending were not true.
Jada discussed Rock again that month while promoting her book, when The New York Times asked how she felt about being mocked alongside Will in Rock’s Netflix special “Selective Outrage.” In the special, Rock revisited both Jada’s 2016 request that he not host the Oscars and Will’s 2022 slap. “I remember my heart piercing, my heart cracking, and I remember my feelings being so hurt,” Jada told the Times. “And then I remember being able to smile and wish him well at the same time,” she added.