Marlon Wayans' HBO Max Comedy Special Jokes About Will Smith Oscars Slap

Comedian Marlon Wayans is getting personal about "Slapgate" in his latest special for HBO Max, titled Marlon Wayans: God Loves Me. "On March 27th, 2022, Chris Rock cracked a joke on Jada Pinkett Smith, and Will Smith got up and slapped the s--- out of one of the greatest comedians of all time," Wayans says in the special's first trailer, referencing the infamous moment Smith slapped Rock on stage at the 94th Academy Awards. "That had nothing to do with Will, nothing to do with Jada, nothing to do with Chris. It was my fault." 

Filmed at the Center Stage Theater in Atlanta, the hour-long special is Wayans' third for the streamer following Marlon Wayans Presents The Headliners and Marlon Wayans: You Know What It Is. Watch the trailer below.

The logline reads, "Wayans delivers a hilarious hour-long performance, unleashing his spot-on impressions and fearless physical comedy to address one of the most infamous recent events in pop culture — 'the slap' that took place at the 94th Academy Awards ceremony. With his inimitable blunt and boisterous style, Wayans skillfully weaves anecdotes from his own life with stories about his long-time friends, from divulging his teenage crush on Jada Pinkett Smith, getting humbled by Chris Rock in an early stand-up set, and examining the impact of Will Smith's long career."

The special is described as "a hysterical yet thoughtful exploration of friendship, family, mistakes, and redemption." Marlon Wayans: God Loves Me is streaming March 2nd on HBO Max.

"I'm excited to be back in business with HBO Max. We've had a lot of success with my last two specials so this will be great," Wayans said in a statement. "I know HBO Max and the sophisticated team of executives are notorious for being true tastemakers and snobs of comedy, so I am flattered that they found this special to be... special." 

The altercation that is now known as "Slapgate" or "The Slap Heard Around the World" happened moments after Rock, who was presenting an award during the live broadcast, made a "G.I. Jane 2" joke about Pinkett Smith's shaved head. 

Best Actor nominee Smith then walked on stage and slapped Rock in the face. "Will Smith just smacked the s--- out of me," Rock said, defending his "G.I. Jane joke." Having returned to his seat, Smith yelled back: "Keep my wife's name out of your f------ mouth!" The ceremony continued, and Smith tearfully accepted his first Oscar for his performance in King Richard. 

Smith apologized for the incident on social media before resigning from the Academy. Ultimately, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences banned Smith from Oscars ceremonies for 10 years for "unacceptable and harmful behavior."

During a stand-up appearance one week after the assault, Rock told the audience he would talk about the slap "at some point," adding that when he does, it will be "serious and funny." During another set in May, Rock quipped, "I'll talk about it at some point — on Netflix. Your tickets were expensive, but not that expensive."

It was previously reported that Rock wouldn't speak publicly about the Oscars slap until he "gets paid," and the comedian turned down an offer to host the 2023 Oscars.

Marlon Wayans: God Loves Me premieres March 2nd on HBO Max.