Are Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Chris Rock friends?

The comedian has told a number of jokes at the Smith family's expense over the years

Before the Oscars 2022 slap, which will probably leave a stain on Will Smith's otherwise unblemished reputation, there were a couple of close-to-the-bone jokes directed at the actor and his family courtesy of Chris Rock.

On Sunday night, Rock's joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's alopecia-induced baldness touched a raw nerve, leading to the dramatic and expletive-filled Oscars moment.

In an unexpected moment at the 2022 Academy Awards, actor Will Smith slaps comedian Chris Rock. AFP

Smith confronts Rock onstage at the Oscars after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. AFP

Rock likened Jada Pinkett Smith's hair to a GI Jane haircut, which prompted her husband to take to the stage to confront Rock in a seemingly unscripted moment. Reuters

Smith leaves the stage at the Oscars after slapping Rock for a remark he made about his wife Jada. She lost her hair because of alopecia. AP

Smith and Jada arrive at the 94th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California. AFP

Smith wins Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in King Richard, at the 2022 Oscars. AFP

Smith, in tears, pays tribute to his wife Jada during his acceptance speech. AFP

Smith with wife Jada after he won the Oscar award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. AFP

Serena Williams at the Oscar Awards on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. AP

Serena and sister Venus Williams introduce a performance by Beyonce at the Oscars. AP

US tennis star Venus attends the 94th Oscars. AFP

But soon after the incident, a joke that Rock told from the same stage six years ago as host of the 88th Academy Awards, also at the expense of Pinkett Smith, began to be wildly shared.

In 2016, a number of major Hollywood stars, including Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee, boycotted the awards in protest against the lack of diversity among nominees. Will Smith, who was widely praised for his role in the 2015 sports biographical Concussion, was also not nominated.

Addressing the boycott in his monologue, Rock mocked Pinkett Smith, saying "Isn't she on a TV show?", questioning her relevance on a night that celebrated films.

"Jada’s gonna boycott the Oscars? Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited," Rock said.

The comedian also took a jab at her husband missing out on a nomination.

"Jada’s mad her man Will was not nominated for Concussion. I get it, I get it. Tell you the truth, I get it. You get mad. Said it’s not fair that Will was this good and didn’t get nominated. You’re right. It’s also not fair that Will was paid $20 million for Wild Wild West, okay?," he said, referring to Smith's 1999 steampunk Western that was derided by critics.

Reacting to the joke days later, Pinkett Smith said "it comes with the territory".

"We gotta keep it moving," she said at a red carpet event. "We got a lot of stuff we gotta handle, a lot of stuff going on in our world right now. We gotta keep it moving."

Following Sunday's slapping incident, fans of Will Smith have also pointed to a 2018 Instagram post of the actor, which elicited a comment by Rock, again directed at Pinkett Smith.

In the post, Smith wished his ex wife Sheree Zampino, with whom he shares a son, Trey, a happy birthday, saying; "I Love You, Ree-Ree" and using the hashtag #BestBabyMamaEver. Zampino, who divorced Will in 1995, continues to share a cordial relationship with the actor as well as with Pinkett Smith.

"Wow. You have a very understanding wife," Rock reportedly commented on the post, which has since been deleted, according to eonline.com.

While the true extent of their relationship is not known, Smith and Rock have known each other for decades. In 1995, Rock appeared in a few episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the show that turned Smith into a star. Rock doubled up as a popular actor named Maurice Perry and his sister Jasmine in a guest appearance on the show.

The pair also appeared in the 1999 mockumentary Torrance Rises, which featured a number of stars playing themselves, including Madonna, Sofia Coppola and Fatboy Slim.

Rock has also featured in the same film as Pinkett Smith, with both actors lending their voices to the hit animated film Madagascar in 2005, as well as its two sequels — Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa in 2008 and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted in 2012.

On Monday, following reports that the Academy was reviewing the slapping incident, Smith, who did not apologise to Rock when he won the Best Actor Oscar for King Richard moments later, posted a message on Instagram.

"Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behaviour at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable," he said. "Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. I would like to publicly apologise to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong," the actor continued.

He signed off the post, saying "I am a work in progress".

The Los Angeles Police Department on Sunday told Variety that Rock had "declined to file a police report".

"If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report," they said.

Scroll through the gallery below for pictures of all the winners at the Oscars 2022:

From left, Emilia Jones, Daniel Durant, Sian Heder, Marlee Matlin, Eugenio Derbez, Fabrice Gianfermi, Patrick Wachsberger, Justin Maurer, Philippe Rousselet, Troy Kotsur and Amy Forsyth accept the Best Picture award for ‘Coda’ on stage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. AFP

Will Smith accepts the Best Actor in a Leading Role award for ‘King Richard’ onstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. AFP

US actress Jessica Chastain poses with the award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye' in the press room during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. AFP

US singer-songwriter Finneas O'Connell, left, and US singer-songwriter Billie Eilish accept the award for Best Music (Original Song) for 'No Time to Die' onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. AFP

Bryon Howard, from left, Clark Spencer, Yvett Merino, and Jared Bush, winners of the award for Best Animated Feature Film for 'Encanto', pose in the press room at the Oscar Awards event on Sunday, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. AP

Riz Ahmed and Aneil Karia, winners of Best Live Action Short Film, pose in the press room during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland in Hollywood, California. Getty Images

Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, right, accepts the award for Best International Feature Film for 'Drive My Car' onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. AFP

Kenneth Branagh, winner of Best Original Screenplay for 'Belfast', poses in the press room at the Oscars, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. AP

Troy Kotsur poses with his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for 'Coda' in the press room during the 94th annual Academy Awards ceremony. EPA

New Zealand Director Jane Campion poses with the Best Director award for 'The Power Of The Dog' in the press room. AFP

Actress Ariana DeBose poses with her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for 'West Side Story' in the press room during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. AFP

Left to right, Joseph Patel, Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson, David Dinerstein, and Robert Fyvolent pose with their Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for 'Summer of Soul (. . . Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),' in the press room during the 94th annual Academy Awards. EPA

The makeup and hairstyling team for 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye' Linda Dowds, centre, Stephanie Ingram, left, and Justin Raleigh accepts the Best Makeup and Hairstyling Award at Oscars 2022. AFP

Brian Connor, second from left, Paul Lambert, third from left, Gerd Nefzer, third from right, and Tristan Myles, second from right, winners of the Oscar for Best Visual Effects for 'Dune', pose with presenters Rachel Zegler, left, and Jacob Elordi, right, in the press room. EPA

Spanish director and animator Alberto Mielgo, right, and Spanish producer Leo Sanchez show off their award for Best Animated Short Film for 'The Windshield Wiper' in the press room. AFP

Canadian filmmaker Ben Proudfoot with his Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film for 'The Queen of Basketball'. EPA

Greig Fraser, winner of the Oscar for Cinematography for ‘Dune’, poses in the press room during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland in Hollywood, California. AFP

British costume designer Jenny Beavan accepts the Oscar for Best Costume Design for 'Cruella' during the 94th annual Academy Awards. EPA

British film editor Joe Walker poses with the Best Film Editing award for 'Dune'. AFP

Patrice Vermette, left, and Zsuzsanna Sipos, winners of the Academy Award for Production Design for 'Dune', pose with their Oscar trophies in the press room. EPA

The sound team of 'Dune', from left, Doug Hemphill, Theo Green, Mark Mangini, Ron Barlett, and Mac Ruth in the press room during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. AFP