TV - Movies
The Real Reason
Chris Rock
Turned Down The
2023 Oscars
Hosting Gig
By JEFF LITTON
In May, Deadline reported that ABC, the network that will be broadcasting the Oscars next year, would be "open to" having Chris Rock come back as host. That's kind of a no-brainer since, after the publicity generated from being slapped across the face by one of the biggest movie stars in the world, such a move would almost certainly deliver sky-high ratings for the network.
However, Rock, who has already hosted the award show twice, doesn't appear to be interested, at least if his remarks to the crowd during a comedy show in Phoenix are any indication. Rock said that he was actually invited to host the Oscars next year but that he turned the opportunity down, likening it to returning to the scene of a crime.
In typical Rock fashion, he added that his returning to the show following last year's incident would be like asking Nicole Brown Smith "to go back to the restaurant." Whether Rock intends to appear at next year's Oscars in some capacity remains to be seen, but it seems clear it won’t be as host.