American actor and comedian, Chris Rock has declined to return to stage to host the Golden Globes in 2024, along with Ali Wong and Smartless hosts Will Arnett, Sean Hayes, and Jason Bateman.
The four comedians have turned down the opportunity to head up the award ceremony in Hollywood on January 7 – and the institution has not yet released who will be hosting.
Rock’s last time hosting major awards was at the 2022 Oscars, where Will Smith came on stage and slapped him across the face over a joke he made about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, saying, ‘Jada, I love you, G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it!’
The reference was to the 1997 movie which featured Demi Moore with a shaved head. Pinkett Smith, 51, has diagnosed with alopecia, which causes hair loss.
The Philadelphia-born actor then walked onstage and smacked Rock, then returned to his seat and shouted at him twice, ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!’.
Ali Wong, was also approached to host the Globes this year, according to CNN. But she declined the gig.
Co-hosts of the podcast SmartLess – Will Arnett, Sean Hayes and Jason Bateman – have also turned down the offer, according to reports.
Although Amy Poehler and Tina Fey have co-hosted the Globes four times before, there is a slim chance they will return in 2023.
A source close to the women told CNN: ‘They would never do it (again). They’re done.’
A celebrity publicist said that people aren’t wanting to host award shows like the Globes because: ‘It’s a thankless job. Another said: ‘It’s not worth it. There are a lot of politics. It’s not easy and it’s not fun anymore.’