Rock reportedly told the crowd that he declined, along with a Super Bowl commercial. He said Smith’s slap “hurts”.
“He’s bigger than me,” Rock said. “The state of Nevada would not sanction a fight between me and Will Smith.”
CNN has reached out to Rock’s rep and the Academy for comment.
Smith took the stage at the Oscars and punched the comedian in the face after he made a joke about Smith’s wife’s shaved head. Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from hair loss due to alopecia, an autoimmune disease that can lead to hair loss.
“I reached out to Chris and the message that came back was that he’s not ready to talk and when he is he will,” Smith said. “So I’ll tell you, Chris, I’m sorry. My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”