By Mark Gray
3:00am PST, Mar 4, 2023
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There wasn't always tension between Will Smith and Chris Rock! Prior to the slap seen 'round the world during the 2022 Oscars, the two men seemed rather chummy. To mark the release of Chris's new comedy special, "Chris Rock: Selective Outrage" — which debuts live on Netflix on March 4, 2023, and in which Chris will address the slap on a public stage for the first time — we've rounded up photos of the duo together…
Will Smith and Chris Rock hammed it up while attending the premiere of "The Nutty Professor" in Los Angeles on June 28, 1996. But this was far from the first time they've shared smiles.
Keep reading to see how the men's friendship evolved… and then fell apart in one night…
MORE: Buzziest moments from the 2022 Academy Awards
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Chris Rock cracked up Will Smith at MTV's Video Music Awards in New York City in 1997.
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Chris Rock, Will Smith, Jaden Smith, and Jackie Chan attended Nickelodeon's 23rd Annual Kids' Choice Awards in Los Angeles on March 27, 2010.
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Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Chris Rock seemed to be in good spirits during game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals at TD Garden in Boston on May 21, 2012.
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Chris Rock, playing "Jasmine," and Will Smith appeared on an episode of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" that aired on Sept. 25, 1995.
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Chris Rock and Will Smith both attended the "Hustle & Flow" premiere in Los Angeles on July 19, 2005.
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Chris Rock looked on after presenting Will Smith with a blimp at the 18th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in Los Angeles on April 2, 2005.
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Chris Rock, daughter Zahra and Will Smith attended the premiere of "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" in Los Angeles on Oct. 26, 2008.
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Chris Rock and Will Smith appeared backstage at the 2002 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles on June 1, 2002.
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Will Smith hit Chris Rock at the 94th Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood on March 27, 2022. A day later, Will apologized on Instagram. "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. 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 wrote, referencing Jada's alopecia. "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."
