Ticket sales for Chris Rock’s stand-up comedy tour have reportedly increased “dramatically” following his Oscars altercation with Will Smith.
According to US ticket seller StubHub, ticket sales for the comedian’s upcoming “Ego Death World Tour” have increased by more than 25 times since Sunday night’s award show.
StubHub said that cumulative sales for Chris’ tour in the days following the drama have surpassed the previous number of sales for the entirety of March.
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in the face at the #Oscars last night after he made a “GI Jane” joke about his wife Jada.
The comedian was referring to the actress’s bald hair, despite Jada previously revealing this was due to alopecia 😬 pic.twitter.com/H6HO1xMNGF
— Goss.ie (@goss_ie) March 28, 2022
A StubHub spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter: “Now that we are 48 hours from Sunday evening, it’s evident that demand for Chris Rock shows has jumped dramatically, based on our ticket-buying trends on StubHub.”
“At this stage in his tour, on an average day, we’d expect to see a spike in sales in the 24 or 48 hours prior to a show date as last-minute sales roll in – but it is incredibly unusual to see the spike we have experienced.”
“With daily sales remarkably more than twenty-five times higher than the average we have seen in the last month, we anticipate this interest will likely sustain for a short time.”
Chris, 57, is yet to publicly comment on the drama, but Will, 53, has since apologised for slapping Chris at the Academy Awards, after he made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
In a statement shared on Instagram, Will wrote: “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behaviour 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.”
“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.”
“I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family.”
“I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us. I am a work in progress. Sincerely, Will,” he signed off.
Chris’ comedy tour is set to begin on April 2 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
