Will Smith smacks Chris Rock over Oscars joke about Jada Pinkett Smith
It’s unclear whether Rock knew that Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, is suffering hair loss after being diagnosed with alopecia before making a joke about her.
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In an unscripted moment that was muted on television, Will Smith confronted Chris Rock during the Academy Awards ceremony after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.
Rock, who was on stage to announce the winner of the best documentary, joked he was looking forward to seeing Pinkett Smith in G.I. Jane 2 due to her haircut. In 2018, Pinkett Smith revealed she was suffering hair loss after being diagnosed with alopecia.
» READ MORE: What happened before, while and after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock?
It’s unclear if Rock knew that, but his joke drew an angry Smith on stage, where he struck the surprised comedian in the face.
“Wow,” Rock said in response, according to an uncensored clip of the exchanges shared on Twitter. “Will Smith just smacked the [expletive] out of me.”
“Keep my wife’s name out your [expletive] mouth,” Smith yelled after returning to his seat from the stage.
A visibly startled Rock awkwardly attempted to continue. He fumbled over his lines before announcing that Summer of Soul, directed by Roots drummer and Tonight Show bandleader Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, won the Oscar for best documentary feature.
» READ MORE: Questlove wins best documentary feature Oscar for ‘Summer of Soul’
Smith never left the theater, and was comforted by multiple stars — including Denzel Washington, Tyler Perry, and Nicole Kidman, according to reporters attending the Oscars. Nearly an hour later, Smith won his first Academy Award for his portrayal of Venus and Serena Williams’ father in King Richard.
“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” an emotional Smith told the audience after receiving the Oscar. “I know, to do what we do, you’ve got to be able to take abuse, you’ve got be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you got to be able to have people disrespecting you, and you’ve got to smile and pretend that’s OK.”
Smith ultimately apologized to both the Academy and his fellow nominees for his behavior during the ceremony, but not to Rock.
“Art imitates live. I look like the crazy father... just like they said about Richard Williams,” Smith added. “But love will make you do crazy things.”
» READ MORE: Will Smith wins best actor Oscar for ‘King Richard’ after confrontation with Chris Rock
While Smith’s speech drew a standing ovation from a crowd dominated by Hollywood celebrates, many pundits were shocked that he was allowed to remain inside the theater after striking Rock on stage, much less receive the award.
“A sarcastic hats off to Will Smith for getting applause from a roomful of actors after slapping Chris Rock on live TV. But it doesn’t change the fact that the #Oscars should not have let him go onstage to accept that award,” wrote NPR TV critic Eric Deggans. “Hollywood values. On display.”
In a statement, the Los Angeles Police Department said that Rock declined to press charges against Smith or 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.”
Meanwhile, the Academy said in a statement that it “does not condone violence in any form.”
“Will Smith smacking Chris Rock and Questlove winning an Oscar are the two most back to back Philly things to ever happen at the Oscars,” tweeted Pennsylvania Senate candidate and State Rep. Malcom Kenyatta.