Chris Rock rejects Oscars 2023 after Will Smith slap, won't go back to 'crime scene'

Chris Rock is steering clear of Oscars after infamous 2022 slap gate with Will Smith.

The singer reveals that he turned down the offer to host the prestigious awards for their 2023 edition.

During one of his comedy gigs at the Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix, the star admitted going to Oscars again would be like returning to a crime scene.

Chris added going back would be like the 1995 murder trial of O.J. Simpson, adding that it would be asking late Nicole Brown Simpson "to go back to the restaurant" where her mother had left a pair of glasses the night of her death.

Meanwhile, Academy CEO Bill Kramer shared his positivity around moving past the Oscars incident.

"We want to move forward and to have an Oscars that celebrates cinema. That's our focus right now, but it's really about moving forward," said Kramer, who began his position in July following the exit of former CEO Dawn Hudson.