The Oscars 2022 got a little spicier after actor Will Smith stormed the stage and struck comedian Chris Rock on his face over a joke gone wrong.
His slap comes after Chris joked about his wife Jada-Pinkett Smith’s tightly cropped hair to Demi Moore’s appearance in the film “G.I. Jane” and suggested she appear in a sequel.
There was a moment of awkward silence and confusion in the Dolby Theatre after Will walked up to Chris and spalled him, before returning to his seat alongside Jada and shouting profanities.
“Keep my wife’s name out of your f****ng mouth,” yelled Will, forcing the producers to bleep out several seconds of audio from the televised broadcast in the United States.
Jada actually did not appear too happy about the joke which resulted in Will getting up on stage and shocked everyone in the audience with the slap. Chris appeared too shocked afterwards but still kept calm and smiled. “Will just smacked the s*** outta me”, he said.
Meanwhile, AFP reported that The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was aware of the incident that “involved one individual slapping another,” but that “the individual involved has declined to 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.”
Jada Pinkett Smith, who is also an actress, has publicly shared that she suffers from alopecia in 2018.
During commercial breaks, fellow actor friends Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry comforted Will and Jada. Then, rapper and producer Sean “Diddy” Combs, presenting the next section, said:
“Will and Chris, we’re going to solve that like family. Right now, we’re moving on with love.”
Will later apologised for the incident during his acceptance speech when he won Best Actor for his role in “King Richard”. With tears running down his cheeks, Smith said that “Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” and that “art imitates life.”
“I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things,” he said.
“I’m hoping the Academy invites me back,” Smith said after apologising to event organisers and his fellow nominees.
