The Smiths have closed ranks after the slap that was heard around the world at the Oscars. The 94th Academy Awards became a Will Smith special - he slapped presenter Chris Rock and then won the Best Actor award minutes later. On social media, blame has been laid on both sides; Twitter is agreed on this - violence is not okay but Chris Rock was out of line (he joked about Will Smith's wife Jada Pinkett's bald head - more below). Will and Jada's son Jaden is pulling no punches, however. "And that's how we do it," the 23-year-old actor tweeted. He didn't refer to the slap - but he didn't need to.
And That's How We Do It
— Jaden (@jaden) March 28, 2022
Chris Rock didn't see the slap coming when he made a facile joke about Jada Pinkett being in a GI Jane movie - the quip referred to her bald head which is a result of the medical condition alopecia. Jada's eyeroll in response to Chris' lame joke seemed to be only reaction from the Smith table - until Will stormed onto the stage and landed one on the presenter. "Keep my wife's name out of your f**king mouth," he yelled, back in his seat.
Visibly stunned, Chris Rock said, "Will Smith smacked the s**t out of me" - it was soon evident that the moment was completely unscripted. "What did I miss," said host Amy Schumer later, in an attempt to make light of the dramatic moment. "Will and Chris, we're going to solve that like a family," said the presenter after Chris Rock, Sean Combs.
Minutes later, Will Smith won Best Actor for his performance in King Richard, using his speech to apologise. "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 does not condone violence of any form," read a brief statement tweeted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Los Angeles Police Department also said in a statement that Chris Rock had declined to file a police complaint.
In other things that happened at the Oscars - CODA won Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Troy Kotsur, Jane Campioin became the third woman to win Best Director (for The Power Of The Dog) and Dune won six awards.
