News | Entertainment
11 Jan 2026 12:17
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Russell Kane has warned Will Smith's Oscars slap could lead to drunken attacks on stand-up comics

    The 46-year-old British comedian insisted he's "qualified" to share his opinion on the Hollywood actor striking stand-up Chris Rock at the Oscars after he passed comment on his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved hair in March, as before lockdown a furious audience member tried to punch him twice when he was performing at a corporate gig


    Russell ranted: "It happened to me so I'm qualified to comment on it.

    "What Will did was wrong and made my job harder. It's given permission to drunks to punch some guy around the head.

    "He was a d******* for what he did and deserves the ban."

    It's been said the 'King Richard' star punched him as his wife Jada, 50, sports a buzz-cut to hide her alopecia.

    As a result, Will, 53, has been barred from Oscars events for a decade.

    Russell said he is now censoring himself at his shows as he fears people's looks may not be a "fashion choice".

    He added in an interview with the Daily Star newspaper: "Personally if I see a woman with no hair in the front row I'm not going to gamble that's a fashion choice. If someone is crying the comedy has stopped for me."

    He said about members of the public complaining about comedy: "It's like going to a nudist beach and complaining because you saw a willy.

    "As soon as you pay your money, you've consented for a theatrical exchange of boundary pushing - within the law.

    "How absurd to go to a comedy gig and complain you got offended.

    "The problem is when someone films it and puts it online, the people who haven't consented see an edgy joke.

    "I'm a people pleaser and like to be liked, but in the theatre if there was a gasp I would go over the top and start miming masturbation and go, 'Shut up you b****' and keep going because there's consent there."

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     11 Jan: Sydney Sweeney believes she was friends with a ghost
     11 Jan: Kevin Hart has signed away the rights to his name
     11 Jan: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have finalised their divorce
     11 Jan: Jesy Nelson has thanked fans for their love and support after she revealed her daughters have a rare genetic condition
     11 Jan: Mandy Moore feels a "certain sadness" about never being pregnant again
     11 Jan: Gwyneth Paltrow has claimed she lost a movie role after declaring she and Chris Martin were "consciously uncoupling"
     11 Jan: Josh Charles branded Travis Kelce a "d***" on the set of Taylor Swift's music video
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Snowboarder Cam Melville Ives has finished down in 12th in the halfpipe at the latest World Cup event in Aspen More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    The Government's rolling out a new tool to help Kiwis find the best power plan More...



     Today's News

    International:
    The bombs in Afghanistan have stopped but its people now live under Taliban decrees 11:57

    Accident and Emergency:
    Search efforts are continuing this morning for a missing swimmer in the Waikato River 11:57

    Entertainment:
    Sydney Sweeney believes she was friends with a ghost 11:53

    Tennis:
    Elina Svitolina is already labelling her return tennis tournament a success after breezing into today's ASB Classic final 11:47

    Cricket:
    Kristian Clarke will mark out his run-up for the first time in international cricket when the Black Caps begin their white-ball tour of India tonight 11:37

    International:
    Australia wins World Cross Country Championships relay gold after Jessica Hull's anchor leg 11:27

    Entertainment:
    Kevin Hart has signed away the rights to his name 11:23

    Soccer:
    Five years after the club looked consigned to history, Macclesfield FC have pulled off one of the greatest upsets in English football 11:07

    Skiing:
    A major career breakthrough for teenage snowboarder Dane Menzies 10:57

    Entertainment:
    Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have finalised their divorce 10:53


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd