Chris Rock made some serious waves this past weekend with the release of his new (and live) Netflix comedy special, Selective Outrage. The veteran comedian tackled a wide range of topics when he took the stage in Baltimore, and some have garnered more attention than others. One of the individuals Rock discussed was former actress Meghan Markle, who’s made several accusations of racism against the British royal family since marrying in. The entertainer didn’t mince words when discussing her apparent conflicts, even saying that “sometimes it’s just in-law shit.”
The 58-year-old entertainer segued into his material on the Duchess of Sussex (who’s married to Prince Harry) when claiming that there are plenty of people claiming to be victims. At the onset, Chris Rock questioned how she could be ignorant of the British monarchy’s historical connections to slavery. He chastised Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s bombshell Oprah interview before taking jabs at the royal brood’s history with colonialism. It was after this that Rock made his argument as to why some of Markle’s alleged experiences don't amount to true instances of prejudice:
Some of that shit she went through was not racism. It was just some in-law shit. Sometimes it’s just some in-law shit. Because she's complaining, I'm like, 'What the fuck is she talking about? 'Oprah, they're so racist. They wanted to know how brown the baby was going to be...' I'm like, 'That's not racist,' because even Black people want to know how brown the baby gon' be. Shit, we check behind them ears. That’s a scientific test.
Both Meghan Markle and Prince Harry alleged during the widely watched chat that they had conversations with several members of the royal family in regard to what their eventual son Archie’s skin color would look like. Shortly after, Harry’s brother, Prince William, provided a brief response, saying that he hadn’t spoken to his younger sibling about it. He also declared that he and his relatives are “very much not a racist family.”
The Duchess has made a number of other allegations against her in-laws as well, even claiming that Kate Middleton once made her cry over flower girl dresses. She and her husband have since stepped back as senior members of the family and are living in California. While sharing further thoughts on the situation, Chris Rock admitted to understanding what the 41-year-old is going through. Yet that didn’t stop him from providing more commentary on a person being accepted by a family of a different race:
I know what she going through, I know what Meghan Markle’s going through. I know her dilemma. Black girl trying to be accepted by her white in-laws. … It's so hard, it's very hard – but it ain't as hard as a white girl trying to be accepted by her Black in-laws. Now, that shit is really hard. … Hey, if you Black, and you wanna be accepted by your white in-laws, then you need to marry a Kardashian, because they accept everybody. Kris Jenner is like the Statue of Liberty.
Believe it or not, the former Suits star didn’t get the brunt of the Top Five director’s musings. That person was Will Smith, who infamously slapped the comic on stage at the Oscars last year. While addressing the slap, Chris Rock called out Smith in a big way, taking aim at his actions, his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s “entanglements” and more.
As for the Duchess, only time will tell if she or Prince Harry decide to respond to the comments in any way. And even if she chooses not to say anything, it seems almost certain that her fans will have more than a few reactions to the in-law comments and the other sentiments.
Chris Rock: Selective Outrage is now available to stream with a Netflix subscription. That same membership will also allow you to access Harry & Meghan – a docuseries centered on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s relationship, conflict with the royal family and professional pursuits.
