Sunday’s 94th Academy Awards took a shocking turn when Will Smith took offense to a joke made by Chris Rock about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and slapped Rock onstage, then yelled expletives from his seat.
After Rock joked that he was looking forward to Pinkett Smith’s sequel to “G.I. Jane” — she sported a shaved head to the Oscars — Smith stood up from his seat near the stage, strode up to Rock and slapped him. After returning to his seat, Smith twice shouted at Rock to “Take my wife’s name out of your (expletive) mouth.”
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Smith apparently took particular offense to Rock’s joke because his wife has, in the past, openly spoke of having alopecia, a medical condition that causes hair loss. Rock had also made jokes at Pinkett Smith’s expense when he hosted the 2016 Oscars.
Almost even more bizarrely, the ceremony continued on without missing a beat. “That was the greatest night in the history of television,” Rock said, as he resumed his role presenting the award for best documentary. The next presenter, Sean “Puffy” Combs tried to play peacemaker, saying: “Will and Chris, we’re going to solve that like family at the Gold party.”
Smith later won the Oscar for best actor for his role in “King Richard,” and in his tearful acceptance speech stressed how his character protected his family, and how he has to do the same in real life, and how difficult it is to take disrespect with a smiling face. He then apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees for the incident. “Art imitates life, I look like the crazy father,” he said, referencing his role as Richard Williams, the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. “But love will make you do crazy things.”
“I hope the Academy invites me back,” he said as he concluded his speech.
While the slapping incident was muted on TV in the U.S., the audio aired in other countries, such as Australia and Japan, where it was quite clear what Smith said.
The audience at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre and viewers at home were stunned.
Many on social media said Smith’s words after his Oscar win left them troubled.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.