Will Smith Slaps Chris Rock on Oscars Stage After Jada Pinkett Smith Joke

[opus]

In one of the most shocking moments in Oscars history, Will Smith stormed onstage and slapped presenter Chris Rock for a joke the comic made about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith

The drama began while Rock was presenting best documentary during the 2022 ceremony. Rock made a crack about Pinkett Smith getting ready to film a sequel to G.I. Jane — an apparent reference to the actress having a shaved head. (Pinkett Smith has been open about her hair loss due to alopecia.)


https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/mo...rs-1235120096/

[RetroGuy2000]

I feel like that joke crossed a line. Kinda cruel, since she has a medical condition.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I feel like that joke crossed a line. Kinda cruel, since she has a medical condition.

What Josie Davis (AKA Sarah Powell on Charles in Charge) has to say about the matter:

You hematite it’s not a good joke. You don’t make it physical and scream obscenities esp on National tv. That was ASSAULT. That’s NOT ok.
@chrisrock should sue for that.

[rusty spike]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was secretly staged.

WS is that type of person.

[Wawwie]

Attention Will Smith: You and your enormous ego need to check yourself. You just assume that everyone knows that Jada has alopecia. Believe it or not, not everyone follows you and your family to the point where they know every aspect of your lives. Like me, Chris Rock may not have even known that Jada has alopecia. Like me, Chris Rock may have thought she shaved her head because of G.I. Jane. Chris Rock may have made some tasteless jokes in the past but he is not cruel or evil. I can’t imagine Chris Rock ridiculing someone for a medical condition that they can’t control. And you know what, Will Smith? Even if he did know that she has alopecia, that is no excuse for what you did. You don’t go around physically assaulting people because they hurt your feelings. Will Smith, you are an unclassy brut. You are the one who behaved like a caveman. You should be ashamed of yourself.

[80sTrivia]

Saw this montage of celebrity reactions in the audience after The Slap:

[TJ]

It was a shocking moment. It was difficult to tell what happened until watching the unedited video. I can see both sides.

If Chris Rock knew about her condition, then he crossed the line. You don't joke about somebody's medical condition like that. I'm sure he keeps updated on the news and gossip. He did that Good Hair documentary. He knows women get emotional when they lose their hair.

If Will Smith had said or did nothing, then he would have been criticized for not standing up for his wife. He only reacted that way when he saw her reaction. Sometimes people's emotions get the best of them. It was an overreaction. He didn't need to get up out of his seat. I wouldn't call it an assault. He slapped him where he probably felt it. It didn't appear to hurt him. He very easily could have knocked him to the floor with a punch.

They should both apologize to each other, shake hands and move on with their lives. It's sad that many people will remember this slap heard around the world instead of his first Oscar win, which was well deserved.

[opus]

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80sTrivia

Saw this montage of celebrity reactions in the audience after The Slap:

Honestly, I don't even recognize most of those people. Sure, The Rock, Meryl Streep, Mel Gibson, Matt Damon... Are the others Lindsay Lohan, Regina George, is that Ryan Reynolds laughing?

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by TJ

It was a shocking moment. It was difficult to tell what happened until watching the unedited video. I can see both sides.

If Chris Rock knew about her condition, then he crossed the line. You don't joke about somebody's medical condition like that. I'm sure he keeps updated on the news and gossip. He did that Good Hair documentary. He knows women get emotional when they lose their hair.

If Will Smith had said or did nothing, then he would have been criticized for not standing up for his wife. He only reacted that way when he saw her reaction. Sometimes people's emotions get the best of them. It was an overreaction. He didn't need to get up out of his seat. I wouldn't call it an assault. He slapped him where he probably felt it. It didn't appear to hurt him. He very easily could have knocked him to the floor with a punch.

They should both apologize to each other, shake hands and move on with their lives. It's sad that many people will remember this slap heard around the world instead of his first Oscar win, which was well deserved.

Well said. If Chris Rock knew about JPS's alopecia, then the joke was mean; as you say, he knows women care about their hair. And of course, if Will Smith had done nothing but laugh at the joke, he would have gotten flak, as well. He probably should have just heckled Chris Rock briefly, as he did anyway.

I suspect they will shake hands and move on. Most guys will.

[80sTrivia]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Honestly, I don't even recognize most of those people. Sure, The Rock, Meryl Streep, Mel Gibson, Matt Damon... Are the others Lindsay Lohan, Regina George, is that Ryan Reynolds laughing?

I believe that's Ryan Gosling laughing. The only other one's I recognize are Emma Stone, Salma Hayek, John Legend, and Michelle Williams...

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80sTrivia

I believe that's Ryan Gosling laughing. The only other one's I recognize are Emma Stone, Salma Hayek, John Legend, and Michelle Williams...

Huh. Turns out Ryan Reynolds and Ryan Gosling are different people. Never knew.

[Wawwie]

Team Chris Rock 100%

[80sTrivia]

Apparently, the Academy has launched a formal investigation into the incident and will convene to decide how they will address the situation after officially condemning Will Smith's behavior:

https://www.wfla.com/news/national/w...unches-review/

[TMC]

Originally Posted by rusty spike

I wouldn't be surprised if it was secretly staged.

WS is that type of person.

Why was it so hard to believe The Slap wasn't staged?: "For those of us watching a censored telecast, what we watched go down between Rock and Smith seemed just manipulated enough that it could be part of the time-honored tradition of staged bits engineered for virality at the Academy Awards," says Madison Malone Kircher, pointing out that last year viewers were led to believe that Glenn Close dancing to "Da Butt" during last year's ceremony was a spontaneous moment. Kircher adds: "As viewers, we’ve been primed to assume everything we’re seeing at these events is orchestrated. Rarely are moments at the Academy Awards raw or real. That’s by design. Maybe, maybe on a good year you’ll get a genuinely spontaneous outburst of emotion or a political diatribe that isn’t triangulated to serve one’s personal brand. More likely just a bleep or two when somebody curses live on air. But for the most part, you get canned jokes and cutaways to pretty people who are making precisely the staged faces people make when they know they are at risk of being on camera at any moment."