Chris Rock's Viral Madagascar Joke Accidentally Sends Jada Pinkett Smith Reunion Rumors Flying

Chris Rock said he wants to make another "Madagascar" movie, which led fans to believe that he and Jada Pinkett Smith have buried the hatchet since the infamous Will Smith Oscars slap in 2022. Speaking to Variety on September 8, Rock said that he was eager to reprise his role as Marty the zebra in the "Madagascar" franchise. "It's probably the biggest movie I've ever been in. We did three of them. I pray to God we do one more," the comedian said before jokingly revealing his motivation. "I got divorced. I don't have the 'Madagascar' money anymore," he added. He also playful threw shade at fellow comedian Ray Romano and the slightly more plentiful "Ice Age" animated movies.

That clip from the interview went viral online and left many viewers wondering how the actor felt about reteaming with Jada — who was one of his "Madagascar" co-stars — in the wake of Will slapping Rock. "Is he ready to work with Jada Pinkett again?" one user responded on X. "I have a feeling there's no way Jada would do another Madagascar with Chris," another speculated. Others took Rock's eagerness to rejoin the zoo animal franchise as proof that he and the "Set It Off" star were on good terms. "He wants to work with Jada again. Will must've had some built up frustration from the past," one fan wrote. 

In a cover story interview for Variety released the same day as that video, Rock was asked point-blank about being hit by Smith, and he downplayed the altercation. "Me having a bad day is not the biggest — it's not that important," he told the outlet. Previously, Jada broke her silence about Smith slapping Rock and revealed interesting details about her relationship with the comedian before the notorious Oscars dust-up.

According to Jada Pinkett Smith, the tension between her and Chris Rock predated the 2022 Oscars incident. In an interview with People in October 2023, the "Red Table Talk" host was asked if she had made amends with Rock since Will Smith clocked him at the awards show. "[N]o, I haven't talked to Chris," she responded. Jada mentioned how there was friction between the Smiths and the stand-up comic when he hosted the 2016 Oscars after she launched the #OscarsSoWhite campaign. She wanted Rock to step down from his hosting duties in solidarity, but he refused.

During that same interview, more history was revealed: Jada claimed Rock asked her out on a date when he thought she had called it quits with Will. "And this particular summer, Chris, he thought that we were getting a divorce," she told People. "So he called me and basically he was like, 'I'd love to take you out,'" Jada said, adding that she explained to her "Madagascar" co-star that those reports were untrue.

Jada was asked about Rock in another interview that same month during her promotional tour for a new book. The New York Times asked for her reaction to Rock roasting her and Will in his Netflix comedy special "Selective Outrage." In the special, the comedian told his version of when Jada asked him to not host the 2016 Oscars and the time Will slapped him at the 2022 Oscars. "I remember my heart piercing, my heart cracking, and I remember my feelings being so hurt," Jada told the Times. "And then I remember being able to smile and wish him well at the same time," she added.