Key Takeaways
- Chris Rock revealed in a New York Times "The Interview" segment released Saturday that he never paid for a lawyer for Roger Logan, a childhood friend's brother.
- Roger Logan spent 19 years in prison for a murder Chris Rock says he did not commit, despite repeated pleas from Logan's brother to fund his defense.
- Chris Rock explained he avoided paying for lawyers because the cost is open ended, and said the decision still messes with him since he had the means to help.
- Chris Rock tied the story to a broader point about cancel culture, saying black men get accused of things they did not do and that white people treat accusations as convictions.
Chris Rock made a tough decision years ago, and he stands by it, no matter how heartless it sounds.
In a recently released New York Times "The Interview" segment, the comedian revealed that a man he came up with, Roger Logan, spent 19 years behind bars for a killing he had nothing to do with, and that Rock never spent a dollar on his defense.
"A guy named Roger Logan, who I grew up with, he's one of my best friend's brothers, went to jail for 19 years for a murder he didn't [commit]," Rock said.
Logan's brother, one of Rock's closest friends, kept coming to him about it. Rock said the asks were repeated, and the answer never changed.
"His brother used to plead with me to pay for a lawyer for Roger and I never did it," he said. "I always had like a no lawyer thing because a lawyer is like an open-ended thing. Like I'll pay your mortgage. I'll put whatever."
Rock continued, explaining how his standing policy led to him forever thinking about the situation. "I always stay out of lawyers because it's so open-ended and it still messes with me. I had the means to help him and I didn't. I don't know if we could have got him out or not."
The story arrived as Rock made a wider point in the same conversation, which also turned to cancel culture. "So all that to say is I'm black. Black men get accused of things they didn't do all the time," he said, adding that "white people believe every accusation is a conviction."
Elsewhere in the same interview, Rock spoke about being slapped by Will Smith at the Oscars four years ago, saying that he was “good” on discussing it. "That was so long ago. I wish everyone well. I’ve moved on with my life."
