Footage resurfaces of Chris Rock poking fun at Jada Pinkett Smith's activism in 1997

The Oscars isn't the first time Chris Rock has made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.

In unearthed footage, the comedian can be seen mocking Pinkett Smith's activism back in 1997. This of course has emerged amid the ongoing controversy of what we shall refer to as the slap that is Will Smith going on stage and smacking Rock.

While many people immediately recalled that Rock had poked fun at Jada during the 2016 Oscars, this new clip shows that there's even more history there than we might have initially thought.

Rock for his part used to host his own late-night show, and in one episode he can be seen joking about Pinkett Smith's participation in the Million Woman March.

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The clip can be watched in a compilation made by Lailah Lynn on YouTube titled, "The BIZARRE Reason Chris Rock Has Been Harassing Jada Pinkett Since The 90s."

Jada Pinkett Smith on The Chris Rock Show (1997)www.youtube.com

"Million Women March was on last week in Philadelphia. I talked to Ice Cube, he called it 'B****es by the Bell,'" Rock can be heard saying in the clip. He then adds: "I didn't say it! Ice Cube said it. And Too Short said it too!"

The Million Woman March was a protest organized in October 1997 in Philadelphia where organizers advocated and showed their support for African American women. A major theme of the march was also family unity and what it means to be an African American woman in America.

In the clip, Rock made a joke about the reason the event took so long to organize, which he said was because the women didn't want to wear the same outfits. Jada, who was a speaker at the event, was then directly called out by Rock.

"You know, at the Million Women March, there were moving speeches from people like Maxine Waters, Winnie Mandela, and here are some inspirational words from the lovely Jada Pinkett."

Rock then cut to a clip of a young Jada speaking at the march: "I am here today because this is an act of power, women. Okay?"

The edited footage then cuts to her shouting the lyrics to "The Roof Is on Fire" instead of her actual speech.

"YOOOO...This is 1997. Chris Rock is clowning the Million Woman March (or as it calls it, Bitches by the Bell), but Jada's SPECIFICALLY, and look at this s***," one person said.

'I might actually revise my slap judgement. The 'keep my wife's name out your f***ing mouth' now has my full support," read one tweet.

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