Chris Rock Explodes and Storms Out of Billionaire’s Holiday Party, Shocks Fans with Meltdown During Surprise Comedy Set
Comedian Chris Rock, 59, was not happy with what took place during his surprise appearance at a private holiday party Saturday night.
The former “Saturday Night Live” star was paid to do standup at an invite-only event at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in New York hosted by billionaire Australian businessman Anthony Pratt.
Attendees at the soiree reportedly consisted of “VIPs” and some of Pratt’s employees, according to New York Post writer Cindy Adams. Regarding Rock’s appearance, she said there was, “no big announcement. Nobody had seen him. Nobody heard he’d be there. He’d been officially hidden.”
In addition to Rock, Australian country music star Keith Urban performed for the partygoers.
According to Adams, Pratt booked Rock as a surprise performer. His set apparently included him saying, “Our new push will be outer space. We’ll put all the Mexicans on the rockets.”
Rock apparently got visibly upset and walked out less than a minute into his routine after he noticed “something the audience did not.”
“Whatever he saw — or thought he saw — upset him. Like he went momentarily ape and shouted something like he wasn’t supposed to be taped, videoed, reported or whatever else wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Without complaining or giving an explanation, she claims Rock went “Barrelling quickly, forcefully, through people to the exit doors, he kept b-tching loudly and, without a second’s hesitation, stormed out — never to return.”
Adams’ story about Rock angrily walking out of the social function garnered a lot of reactions from New York Post readers.
“I noticed in this guy’s career that he has become increasingly self-important, and he thinks who he is, he has become one of the Hollywood elites on the house, which I despise,” one person wrote in the comment section.
Another comment read, “If that was stated in the contract that neither the host, nor staff, nor guests could record him then he had every right to leave. However, if it wasn’t then he broke the contract and needs to forfeit his fee or be sued.”
A third person offered, “Chris Rock is a great performer. He should have made an announcement NO phones and NO Recordings. If he says NO recording on his work. The man means it. It’s called RESPECT.”
Rock is among many comedians and entertainers who have barred recording devices at their shows. Yondr pouches are routinely used to ensure cellphone-free spaces during live performances, which allows attendees to conceal their devices.
It is not clear if Rock requested cellphones or other recording devices to be locked away during his set at Pratt’s party.
There also have not been any credible reports confirming if the People’s Choice Award winner was contracted to be compensated for his time at the event.
In addition, several commenters made callbacks to Rock being on the receiving end of actor and rapper Will Smith’s infamous “Oscars Slap” at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022.
“Will Smith in the crowd by the exits maybe,” someone joked. A like-minded jokester commented, “Maybe he had a flashback and saw Will Smith coming up to him.”
The Oscars incident ignited a media firestorm. Smith smacked Rock onstage at the televised award show in response to the “Head of State” actor making fun of Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head.
Previously, Pinkett Smith had been claiming she suffes from the hair-loss condition known as alopecia. Her husband took offense to Smith’s unexpected, comical jab about Jada’s baldness.
After physically assaulting Rock in front of a live crowd in Los Angeles and a global television audience, Smith returned to his seat in the Dolby Theatre and loudly yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f–ing mouth.”
The ordeal overshadowed Smith winning the Best Actor award that night for his role in the biopic “King Richard” which also starred Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Daniele Lawson, and Demi Singleton.
Smith later issued a public apology and preemptively resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. However, AMPAS still banned the Philadelphia native from attending Academy events for 10 years.
In July 2024, InTouch Weekly reported that the box office success of Smith’s 2024 blockbuster “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” has some Hollywood big shots pushing for his banishment to be rescinded.
But Rock could still be a major stumbling block in Smith returning to the Academy’s good graces before his social exile ends in 2032.
“Another obstacle is that Chris Rock is rightfully still very upset about the incident, and he’s a beloved Academy insider,” a reputed source explained to the outlet. “The moment everybody is waiting for is for Chris and Will to publicly and genuinely bury the hatchet.”
