Will Smith's big night snowballed into something so giant and out-of-control that it eclipsed even his own Best Actor win. Will, 53, slapped presenter Chris Rock on live international broadcast because of a joke, admittedly distasteful, that he made about Will's wife Jada Pinkett. "Can't wait for GI Jane 2," Chris quipped, referring to Jada's hair - she has a condition called alopecia which causes hair loss. The world watched in disbelief as Will Smith strode up to the Oscar stage, slapped Chris Rock and then yelled, "Keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth."
"That wasn't scripted?," tweeted Trevor Noah, summing up everyone's reaction.
Wtaf????? That wasn't scripted????? 😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳
— Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) March 28, 2022
Turns out, it wasn't scripted at all, prompting Conan O'Brien to publicly wish he still had a chat show to dissect Slapgate on.
Just saw the Will Smith slap. Anyone have a late night show I can borrow just for tomorrow?
— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) March 28, 2022
There was condemnation for both parties involved. " Will Smith owes Chris Rock a huge apology. There is no excuse for what he did. He's lucky Chris is not filing assault charges. The excuses he made tonight were b******t," tweeted filmmaker Rob Reiner.
Will Smith owes Chris Rock a huge apology. There is no excuse for what he did. He's lucky Chris is not filing assault charges. The excuses he made tonight were bullshit.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) March 28, 2022
"Will Smith says he wants to be a vessel for love. Love is not violent. Love is not what was displayed on a global stage tonight," tweeted journalist Maria Shriver.
#WillSmith says he wants to be a vessel for love. Love is not violent. Love is not what was displayed on a global stage tonight. #Oscars
— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) March 28, 2022
Actress Sophia Bush called Chris Rock out: "Violence isn't ok. Assault is never the answer. Also? This is the 2nd time that Chris has made fun of Jada on the #Oscars stage, & tonight he went after her alopecia. Punching down at someone's auto-immune disease is wrong. Doing so on purpose is cruel. They both need a breather."
Violence isn't ok. Assault is never the answer. Also? This is the 2nd time that Chris has made fun of Jada on the #Oscars stage, & tonight he went after her alopecia. Punching down at someone's auto-immune disease is wrong. Doing so on purpose is cruel. They both need a breather.
— Sophia Bush (@SophiaBush) March 28, 2022
Actress Jodie Turner-Smith tweeted, "and as far as *that incident* goes... i am still processing. i have second hand embarrassment for all involved."
and as far as *that incident* goes….. i am still processing. i have second hand embarrassment for all involved.
— Jodie (@MissJodie) March 28, 2022
Rapper Cardi B referred to what Will Smith said in his apology: "At your highest moment ...be careful that's when the devil tries to come for you."
At your highest moment …be careful that's when the devil tries to come for you 🙌🏽
— Cardi B (@iamcardib) March 28, 2022
Meantime, Oscars producer Will Packer tweeted, "Welp...I said it wouldn't be boring."
Welp…I said it wouldn't be boring #Oscars
— Will Packer (@willpowerpacker) March 28, 2022
Comedian Matt Lucas said what we were all thinking: "Anyone else need therapy after watching The Oscars? I'm not even joking."
I thought I dreamt this but I just looked on YouTube and it actually happened pic.twitter.com/JCKBaQLPTN
— Matt Lucas (@RealMattLucas) March 28, 2022
Minutes after the slap, Will Smith won Best Actor for his performance in King Richard. He used his speech to apologise - only, not actually to Chris Rock. . "I want to apologise to the academy. I want to apologise 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," the 53-year-old actor said, tearing up. He also revealed what fellow Best Actor nominee Denzel Washington said to him in the previous commercial break: "Thank you Denzel, who said to me a few minutes ago... he said, 'at your highest moment, be careful, that's when the devil comes for you.'"
The Academy tweeted a brief statement later saying it doesn't "condone violence of any form." Chris Rock has declined to file a police report, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
