Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars and then won Best Actor, proving that sometimes life provides a more thrilling script than Hollywood ever could. Slapgate caused jaws to hit the floor, in Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre where the Oscars were held and outside of it. Online, reactions began with disbelief and ended with condemnation for both the slapper and the slappee. Summed up, the general opinion seems to be this - violence is not the answer but joking about somebody's medical condition isn't funny. Bollywood celebrities appear to have been as transfixed by the controversy as anyone else. "Wow, didn't expect that," wrote actor Varun Dhawan, sharing video of the slap on his Instagram.
Will Smith lost his temper after Chris Rock joked about wife Jada Pinkett's bald head - Jada suffers from alopecia which causes hair loss. He strode up to the presenter on stage and slapped him.
In an Instagram Story, Neetu Kapoor wrote, "And they say women can never control their emotions..."
Sophie Choudhry wrote, "Violence is never the way but cracking jokes about someone's medical condition should not be acceptable either. This was supposed to be a career high for one of my favourite artists for a superb performance. Instead he'll be remembered for this crazy incident #willsmith #Oscars"
Here have a look:
Violence is never the way but cracking jokes about someone's medical condition should not be acceptable either. This was supposed to be a career high for one of my favourite artists for a superb performance. Instead he'll be remembered for this crazy incident???? #willsmith #Oscars pic.twitter.com/EBuEOiKNwu
— Sophie C (@Sophie_Choudry) March 28, 2022
Will Smith won the Best Actor Oscar minutes after the slap. In his emotional speech, he said, "I want to apologise to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees...Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things." Hope the Oscars invite me back, he added.
Will Smith was awarded for his performance in King Richard, based on the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
