Marlon Wayans Says Oscars Slap Brought Up Memories Of Being Humiliated By His Brothers

Marlon Wayans dropped by The Breakfast Club to promote his new HBO Max comedy special, Marlon Wayans, Presents The Headliners, when DJ Envy answered the tired old question about the infamous Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscar slap.

Wayans jumped out of his chair in his true comedic style and paced around, “I thought I was going to get out of this; you got my white publicist shaking her head ‘don’t you do it, don’t you do it,” he jokingly exclaimed.

Eventually, he collected himself and articulated his thoughts on the controversial topic.

“They’re both friends of mine,” said the White Chicks star, according to Complex. “It was hard for me. It was like watching two brothers fight. It’s hard for me because I’ve known Will 20 years. I’ve known Chris Rock since I was 12. For me, I was just like, ‘Yo.’ I didn’t know what transpired. I felt bad ’cause I’m a brother. As a brother, I felt bad for Tony Rock and Jordan. ‘Cause now, Will doing that, you are questioning my loyalty.”

However, the incident triggered memories of his brothers humiliating him on a national stage.  

His brothers pranked him by dressing him in an ill-fitted suit for the Emmys. 

“That sh-t hurt me till this day,” explained the 49-year-old comedian. “It hurt me. They put me in a little suit. They played a prank on me in front of the world, and I know that kind of humiliation. I was mad at my brothers. I wanted to fight them n-ggas. I wanted to slap them. I was so mad. I was in the limousine, like, ‘Don’t talk to me. Don’t talk to me.’ I told [older brother] Keenen, ‘F-ck you,’ And he was, like, 260 pounds.”

In the radio interview, the Good Hair actor added that humiliation is a necessary tool for a stand-up comic, “What happened and transpired, I know Chris is hurt, and he’s humiliated,” before adding, “But from this, he will be better.”

He continued, “There’s nothing greater for a comedian than humiliation. Because learning to deal with that, now you come out the gate, now you got these jokes, now you’re building a bigger, better you.”