Chris Rock Comedy Tour Gets Ticket Sale Boost After Oscars Clash With Will Smith
Chris Rock has seen a surge in ticket sales for his comedy tour after being slapped by Will Smith at The Oscars. The one moment viewers will take away from the 94th Academy Awards is the confrontation between Oscar award-winning actor Will Smith and comedian Chris Rock. After Rock made a joke at the expense of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, the King Richard star stepped up on stage and slapped Rock, before returning to his seat in the crowd. Interest in the altercation is at an all-time high, which has led to an increase in tickets bought for Rock's upcoming comedy tour.
The comedian is set to perform at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston from Wednesday, March 30th through Friday, April 1st. TickPick, a secondary ticketing marketplace that doesn't charge any extra fees, reports it sold more tickets to see Chris Rock overnight than it did in the past month combined. TickPick also reports that the cheapest ticket sold on March 18th went for $46. Now, the cheapest ticket currently available is $341 – that's a 641% increase. It's worth noting that these are all-in prices, as TickPick does not charge added buyer fees. As a result, fans can expect to save 10-25% on tickets, in case any of you are out there price-shopping.
Rock's Ego Death World Tour kicks off on April 2nd with some tickets still available on resale sites like Ticketmaster, Stubhub, and Vivid Seats. "Lauded by peers and critics alike, Chris Rock is one of our generation's strongest comedic voices," Live Nation said in a statement. "With a career spanning more than three decades, Rock has enjoyed ongoing success in both film and television as a comedian, actor, writer, producer and director."
Will Smith issued a public apology to Chris Rock yesterday evening. "Violence in all of its form is poisonous and destructive," the freshly-minted Oscar winner wrote. "My behavior at last night's Academy Awards 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 added, "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. 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. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness."
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