Adam Sandler defends Chris Rock’s jokes about Will Smith in Netflix special: ‘It was unbelievably funny’

Adam Sandler believes Chris Rock didn’t go too far with his jokes about Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith in his recent Netflix comedy special, Selective Outrage.

In the one-off, the comedian addressed last year’s Oscars slap, the fallout from the controversial incident and even referenced Jada’s 2020 “entanglement” with singer August Alsina.

When asked if Rock went too far with the special, the 56-year-old said: “Never thought that in my life. I thought it was unbelievably relaxed, funny, thoughtful. Crushed it and was real to himself.”

The Hustle actor also likened Rock’s stand-up special to the Super Bowl, revealing that he “immediately” watched it for a second time and called it “amazing”.

Speaking to PEOPLE, he added: “And it was as exciting to watch as when the Super Bowl is on. I thought about it all weekend. ‘All right, Rock is doing his thing tonight!’

“Saturday, watched it in my kitchen, laughed my a** off, immediately watched it right after. It was one of the best experiences. I thought it was amazing.”

Earlier this month, Rock released his comedy special on March 4 ahead of this year’s Academy Awards.

In the one-off, he referenced Jada’s 2020 admission she had an “entanglement” with August Alsina while she and Smith were on a break, which they later discussed on her Red Table Talk show.

Referencing the couple’s marriage, Rock, 58, told audiences: “Will Smith practices selective outrage. Everybody that really knows, knows I had nothing to do with that s***. I didn’t have any ‘entanglements.’”

The Down to Earth actor then went on to claim that “everybody in the world” called Smith “a b****” after the “entanglement” admission and said he tried to get in touch with him but the actor didn’t pick up.

After repeatedly branding Smith a “b****” in one segment of the special, Rock quipped: “Everybody. And who’s he hit? Me, a n**** he knows he can beat. That is some b****-a** s***.”