Following the incident at the 94th Academy Awards where Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in the face, resale ticket prices for Rock’s stand-up comedy shows are through the roof.
Per Total Pro Sports, one Twitter user wrote that, less than a week ago, they purchased Chris Rock tickets for $47 USD each. Sharing a screenshot from TicketsOnSale.com, they revealed that those tickets now cost $581 each (a 1136 percent increase). Citing TickPick, another user wrote that as of March 18, the cheapest tickets to see Rock perform at the Wilbur Theatre cost $46. The cheapest tickets now cost $411 (a 793 percent increase.) While there is a two week gap there, the user says that prior to the Oscars, the cheapest get-in price was $50.
Chris Rock performs at Wilbur Theatre on Wednesday…
$46: Cheapest ticket sold on March 18th
$411: Cheapest ticket currently available
(Data via @TickPick)
— Kyle Zorn (@Kyle_Zorn) March 28, 2022
According to TickPick itself, sales for Rock’s comedy shows also spiked following the incident at the Oscars. “We sold more tickets to see Chris Rock overnight than we did in the past month combined,” the online marketplace tweeted.
We sold more tickets to see Chris Rock overnight than we did in the past month combined.
— TickPick (@TickPick) March 28, 2022
Rock is set to perform six shows at The Wilbur Theatre in Boston from March 30 through April 1. On April 2, Rock then begins his Ego Death World Tour 2022 — the comic’s first stand-up tour since his Total Blackout tour in 2017.
At The Oscars on March 27, Rock took to the stage to present the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. During his routine, the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, saying, “Jada, I love you — G.I Jane 2, can’t wait to see it.” This was in reference to Smith’s hair, which she shaved off due to her alopecia.
Jada Pinkett Smith’s husband, Will Smith, then walked up on stage and slapped Rock across the face. Will Smith and Rock then had a heated exchange, during which the latter repeatedly told Rock to “keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.” The exchange was censored in the United States, though aired uncensored in other countries. Later in the night, Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard.
Will Smith later apologized to Rock in a statement posted to Instagram. “My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” Smith wrote, explaining that “jokes at my expense are part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.” The actor continued, “I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be.”
Following the slap, Rock reportedly declined to press charges. Nevertheless, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has launched a formal review of the incident. “The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show,” an Oscars spokesperson said. “We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”
Source: Total Pro Sports
About The Author
