American actor Will Smith went viral for slapping presenter Chris Rock on stage after he made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith at the 2022 Oscar Awards Ceremony on Sunday.
Rock was onstage at the Oscars to present Best Documentary. The stand-up comic then began to make jokes about members of the audience. After making a joke about Denzel Washington, Rock stated to Jada Pinkett Smith that he was looking forward to seeing her in G.I. Jane II. This was in reference to her buzzcut, just like Demi Moore’s character in the 1997 film G.I. Jane.
However, Pinkett Smith has been open about her struggles with hair loss and bald spots caused by alopecia.
Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes after Rock’s joke. The Oscars telecast then went mute for a spell as Pickett’s husband walked to the stage and hit Rock. However, telecasts in Japan and other countries aired the whole thing.
“Will Smith just smacked the sh-t out of me,” said a surprised Rock. Smith responded: “Keep my wife’s name out your f-cking mouth,” and repeated the phrase.
Minutes after the incident, He won the Oscar for best actor for portraying Venus and Serena Williams’ father Richard in the tennis biopic “King Richard.”
In his acceptance speech, the actor said in tears,
“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family. Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said, just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things.I’m hoping the Academy invites me back.”
To win the award, Smith beat Andrew Garfield (“tick, tick…BOOM!”) Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”), Denzel Washington (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”) and Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”).