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George Lopez is the latest celerity to speak out following the controversy at the 94th Academy Awards, letting the world know who he’s siding with in the situation.
As the comedian attended the grand opening of the Immersive Frida Kahlo exhibit in support of Global Gift Foundation USA on Wednesday, March 30, Lopez expressed his support for Chris Rock after he was slapped onstage by Will Smith. As you’ve likely heard by now, the former Saturday Night Live star was struck after making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald haircut.
George Lopez noted that he is a “member of the Academy,” telling PEOPLE that weighing in on the incident is “like deciding which parent you want to live with.” Still, he’s “staying with my dad and Chris Rock.”
The comedian went on to describe Rock as “one of my heroes,” saying “he’s got a lot of great friends.”
“I think what Wanda Sykes said on [The Ellen DeGeneres Show] was very, very powerful,” Lopez continued. “They’ve been friends for a long time, and a comedian never really wants to show their vulnerability,” he noted. “And I could tell that in Wanda, that it has affected her deeply that one of her best friends was struck like that.”
The Beverly Hills Chihuahua star also gave his take on the current state of comedy, telling the publication, “Well, nobody’s been able to take a joke for the last five or six years. So, moving forward, I think that people will feel like they’re able to stand up and [do what they want]. You come to enjoy a show, not to make a statement.”
So, even though it’s been almost a week since the Oscars aired, it looks like we’re nowhere close to the end of hearing about this situation.