by Ada Jolly & Bali Vu
The Internet erupts after Will Smith slaps Chris Rock on stage at The Oscars
As the Oscars ceremony was in full swing, comedian Chris Rock took the stage to present the award for best documentary.
Rock quipped “Jada I love you, ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it.” in reference to the shaved hairstyle Jada Pinkett-Smith (wife of Will Smith) wore to the awards show. As the audience chuckled, the camera shifted to Pinkett-Smith, an alopecia patient who has been quite open about her struggles, who rolled her eyes and looked at her husband.
When the camera panned back to Rock on stage, he warned, “Oh uh,” into the mic as Will Smith rose from his seat and walked over. The audience then saw Smith strike Rock across his face. Cameras watched as Smith returned to his seat and told Rock, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!”
While many are shocked at this turn of events, Rock has clashed with the Smiths before. Most notably, the joke Rock made about the couple at the 2016 Oscars show. He poked fun at Will Smith’s salary and Jada Pinkett-Smith’s boycott of the ceremony over concerns about a lack of diversity.
Rock attempted to save face after this altercation saying, “That was the greatest night in the history of television.” Later, Will Smith went on to win the award for best actor, his first Oscar and an achievement that many are saying will be overshadowed by the upsetting events of the night.
In his speech, Smith apologized to the academy and his fellow nominees for the disruption, but did not address Rock directly. He talked about being a “protector” and compared himself to the character of Richard Williams who he plays on screen. In addition to this, Smith shared the wise words Denzel Washington told him: “At your highest moment be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you.”
He finished by expressing his hopes that the Academy will invite him back again.