Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in the face on stage at the Academy Awards after the comedian made a joke about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
“Jada, I can’t wait for GI Jane 2,” he said, clearly referring to her shaved hairstyle, which was the result of the hair loss condition alopecia.
Smith walked onto the stage and hit Rock before returning to his seat and yelling, “Keep my wife’s name out of your [expletive] mouth!”
On stage, he later apologised.
“I want to apologise to the Academy. I want to apologise to my all my fellow nominees,” he said during a tearful acceptance speech for best actor.
The actor won his first Academy Award for his performance in King Richard as the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams.
“Life imitates art,” he said. “Just like Richard Williams, I appear to be the crazy father. However, love can drive you insane.”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organises the Oscars, issued a statement saying that it “does not condone violence in any form.”
Rock’s joke alluded to the 1997 film GI Jane, in which Demi Moore starred as the title character with a severe buzzcut.
The actor won his first Academy Award for his role as the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams in King Richard.
“Art imitates life,” he said. “I appear to be the insane father, just like Richard Williams. Love, on the other hand, can drive you insane.”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organises the Oscars, issued a statement saying that it “does not condone any form of violence.”
Rock’s joke alluded to Demi Moore’s role as the title character in the 1997 film GI Jane, who had a severe buzzcut.
Following the incident, Rock presented the best documentary award, which was the reason he was on stage.
According to The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg, Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry had to “pull aside and comfort” a tearful Smith.
During an ad break, the trio could be seen talking just in front of the stage, with Washington and Perry putting their hands on his shoulders. Bradley Cooper, who starred in A Star Is Born, was also seen standing with Smith and appearing to reassure him.
Sean will now present the following section “”Will and Chris, we’re going to solve that like family,” Diddy” Combs said. Right now, we’re focusing on love.”
Smith appeared on the red carpet with sons Trey and Jaden, daughter Willow, and his wife at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, smiling for photographers and posing with his award.
Other partygoers reacted to the incident, with filmmaker David Furnish saying that he tells his sons with Elton John “don’t hit anybody… under any circumstances.”
Tiffany Haddish, an actress and comedian, defended Smith, saying he was standing up for his wife.
“And that’s how we do it,” Jaden Smith tweeted after his father hit Rock.
Other members of the film industry chastised Smith, with The Last Samurai producer Marshall Herskovitz urging the Academy to discipline him and Star Wars actor Mark Hamill calling it “the ugliest Oscar moment ever.”
He continued, saying: “Stand-up comedians are experts at dealing with hecklers. Violent physical assault, on the other hand, not so much.”
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“And that’s how we do it,” Jaden Smith tweeted after his father’s performance of Rock.
Other members of the film industry chastised Smith, with The Last Samurai producer Marshall Herskovitz pleading with the Academy to punish him and Star Wars actor Mark Hamill calling it “the ugliest Oscar moment ever.”
He went on to say: “Hecklers are nothing new to stand-up comedians. Violent physical assault, on the other hand, is frowned upon.”
Doubt began to creep in when Smith rose from his seat and hit Rock on the stage. Of course, these guys are veterans of film and television, and would know how to carry out a fake stage slap. Except, everyone was starting to think, it didn’t look that fake.
By the time Smith was sitting back in his seat and shouting to Rock to “keep my wife’s name out your [expletive] mouth”, it was clear this was no sketch. A professional like Smith would know better than to drop the F-bomb on stage during a live TV broadcast.
Much like previous Oscars that were defined by their viral moments – such as Ellen’s group selfie or the best picture winner mix-up in 2017 – this will now forever be the Oscars where Will Smith punched Chris Rock.
The Girls Trip star said she first suspected she had alopecia after “handfuls of hair” came loose in the shower.
“I was just like, ‘Oh my God, am I going bald?’ It was one of those times in my life where I was literally shaking with fear,” she explained. “That’s why I cut my hair and continue to cut it.”
This was not Rock’s first time making a joke about Pinkett Smith at the Academy Awards. He hosted the ceremony in 2016, when she was among the celebrities who boycotted it due to a lack of diversity in the nominations.
“Jada Pinkett Smith boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties – I wasn’t invited!” he said that year.
Other winners at Sunday’s ceremony included Jessica Chastain for best actress for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Jane Campion for best director for The Power of the Dog, and Apple TV film Coda for best picture.
Ariana DeBose won best supporting actress for West Side Story, while Troy Kotsur won best supporting actor for Coda, which also won best picture.
This was not Rock’s first time at the Academy Awards making a joke about Pinkett Smith. He hosted the ceremony in 2016, when she was one of the celebrities who boycotted it due to a lack of diversity in the nominees.
“Jada Pinkett Smith boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s pantyhose – I wasn’t invited!” he exclaimed that year.
Jessica Chastain won best actress for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Jane Campion won best director for The Power of the Dog, and Apple TV film Coda won best picture at the ceremony on Sunday.
West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose won best supporting actress, while Coda’s Troy Kotsur won best supporting actor and best picture.
Smith took the stage twice during the Oscars ceremony, once to protest what Rock had said about his wife, and then again less than an hour later to accept his first Academy Award.
Accepting the Oscar for best actor for King Richard, he stated that Richard Williams was a “fierce defender of his family” and that he was “being called on” in his life to “love people and protect people.”
He concluded by expressing his hope that the Academy would invite him back.
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