Rock likened the potential job to returning to the scene of a crime.

Back in March, actors Chris Rock and Will Smith stunned the entertainment world during the 2022 Oscar awards when Smith walked onto the stage and slapped Rock in the face for making a joke about his wife. Since then, the infamous slap has become a major talking point for both men, with Smith expressing regret for his actions and Rock desiring to move past it.

Rock, who was recently on a standup tour, deviated from his usual routine to inform the audience that he had been requested to host the Oscars again in 2023. According to Arizona Republic, Rock said that he turned down the opportunity, likening a return to the Oscar hosting duty to a return to the scene of a crime. Rock has also previously stated the reason why he doesn’t want to dwell on the incident is that he doesn’t want to be viewed as a victim.

“Everybody is trying to be a f—ing victim,” Rock said during a standup show in July. “If everybody claims to be a victim, then nobody will hear the real victims. Even me getting smacked by Suge Smith … I went to work the next day, I got kids.”

“Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face,” Rock added at the time.

The comedian said returning to the awards show would be like returning to the scene of a crime. https://t.co/VqYKz0xZHs

— HuffPost (@HuffPost) August 30, 2022

Rock also noted that he received an invitation to appear in a Super Bowl commercial, which he turned down as well.