UPDATE: Chris Rock won’t press charges against Will Smith but Academy started a “formal review”
Will Smith apologized to The Academy and his fellow nominees while accepting the Oscar for Best Actor
Aux News Will Smith
UPDATE, 2:25 p.m. CT: Deadline reports that though Chris Rock has no intention of pressing charges against Will Smith, the incident is still under investigation by The Academy.
The Academy released a statement that reads:
The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show. We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law
In one of the most unbelievable moments in Oscars history, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage after the comedian made a G.I. Jane 2 joke that was in poor taste about Jada Pinkett Smith—who suffers from alopecia. Though Smith initially appeared to sarcastically laugh at the joke, he then stood up from his seat, hit Rock, and upon arriving back to his seat, told Rock, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”
Denzel Washington (who was also nominated for Best Actor) reportedly calmed Smith down during the commercial break, alongside Smith’s publicist Meredith O. Sullivan and Oscars producer Will Packer.
Things got even more awkward when, shortly after the slap, Smith won Best Actor for his role in King Richard, and used his speech to apologize to the Academy and his fellow nominees—but not Rock directly. He also said, “Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams.”
Additionally, Smith acknowledged Washington’s help in that moment, saying, “Thank you, Dee. Denzel said a few minutes ago, ‘At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the Devil comes for you.’”
Rock, who didn’t react to being hit by the Oscar winner on stage besides saying “Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me,” has decided to not press charges.
This was confirmed by the LAPD to Variety, who said in a statement: “LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program. The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.”
The Academy also issued a statement on Twitter, writing, “The Academy does not condone violence of any form. Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.”
As for where Rock and Smith stand after the slap, Diddy told Page Six that the men have made amends already. “That’s over. I can confirm that,” he said. “It’s all love. They’re brothers.”
384 Comments
Of course he didn’t. And Hulk Hogan never pressed charges on Roddy Piper for their worked fights either.
You slap truthers are absolutely fucking unhinged. Go back to your Qanon boards!
Don’t get worked into a shoot, brother
But, a Will Smith slap can’t melt steel beams! It’s physically impossible!
If it took you more than 10 seconds to realize it wasn’t staged (which I did at first, because really???) then I don’t know what you were watching.
You mean, where Rock sticks his face out, puts his hands behind his back, tenses up and receives an open-hand slap? Puh-leaze. This is a fucking work.
Because if it isn’t, then Smith is a bigger punk bitch than I thought. If you are going to cash in the goodwill he’s built up over the years and indulge in a bit of toxic masculinity, then at least make sure the guy gets put to the ground.
It makes more sense to you that he planned to cash in that goodwill for toxic masculinity? To what end?
“then Smith is a bigger punk bitch than I thought”It’s a pretty obvious conclusion that indeed he is.
Smith is a bigger punk bitch than you thought.
You’re not very bright.
He prepped because he thought Smith was going to fake assault him, because that’s the kind of thing you’d do impromptu at an awards show (and happens fairly often at a roast). Looked more like he was expecting to be mock-choked, the way he put his head forward. Fairly certain he didn’t know Smith was actually angry, actually going to slap him, or start cussing on live television on a night that was supposed to celebrate him achieving a lifelong goal.
His hands were behind his back for most of the time he was on the stage. It’s not an unusual standing pose. And “sticks his face out and tenses up,” dude, it’s called flinching. Smith was moving to close really fast, he didn’t seem to be slowing down, his instincts were probably “eh shit, I’ve seen this before, is he actually going to do this?”If there’s any snipped of truth to Everybody Hates Chris, he knows what someone getting ready to hit you looks like. Your “evidence” is a joke.
Puh-leaze. He steeled himself for the slap, the way pro wrestlers do. Smith didn’t hit him that hard.
It’s a work. He would no more press charges on Smith than the stunt double for Josh Brolin would press charges on the stunt double for Chris Hemsworth.
But John Stossel and Richard Belzer did, I think
Stossel was from David Schultz, and they ran his ass out of wrestling over it. Rumor still is that Schultz was ordered to by McMahon.
Yea, and Hogan choked out the Belz with minimal, if any, consequences. Although Stossel was probably lucky it was Schultz and not the other Doctor Death
Belzer asked for a hold, Hogan accidentally dropped him and he got nine stitches. Then his lawyers tried to take him for half instead of 33 percent.
And I don’t know, the other Dr. D was 6’6″ and a bad-ass Southern cracker. I’d not fuck with either of them.
Oh, I can’t imagine screwing with any of those guys. I’ve heard Cornette’s stories about the fights they would get into at bars, and I just can’t imagine the amount of alcohol I’d have to consume before I looked at Steve Williams, or Jim Duggan, or Harley Race (Haku is right out) and thought “I can take that guy”
no one in their right mind would think that about Haku. Only a person with a death wish would get smart around that guy!
My favorite story is from the night DX invaded Nitro. HHH asked one of the producers (I think it was Gerald Brisco) “what do we do if Haku comes out?” His response: “you pray those guns are loaded”
Legend has it that Haku ended a fight once by reaching into the guy’s mouth and ripping out a tooth.
I don’t think Belzer pressed charges, but he did get a big civil settlement, IIRC.
I worked the show. It was real, homeboy.
Not a shock at all, there was no way Rock was pressing charges. Best thing he did was take the slap and shake it off like it wasn’t even a hard hit.
This story is a shock moment but I hope most people are ready to move on from it. We have more important things to worry about.Like did the Snyder fans really win an award last night???? :)Seriously those people are monsters! 🙂
BAH GOD! THAT’S THE WRAP-IT-UP MUSIC!
They did let him go on and on didn’t they. Should have had the wrap it up box from the chappelle show out there!
Or the old vaudeville hook and yank him off stage.
MAH GOD! DAME JUDY DENCH HAS THROWN A CHAIR ON STAGE
And now Clint Eastwood is talking to it!
Neil Diamond would also like a word with the chair.
Too bad Geraldo wasn’t in front of it.
Any award people vote on is basically an award for “most effective Twitter bot.”
That makes sense. They have opened themselves up for some really dumb “fans” to have their voices heard. And I actually liked the Snyder cut. But to vote for any part of that is hilarious.
You can buy a bot that will vote on a Twitter Poll on the dark web for like ten bucks. One of my favorite Podcast, Blank Check, use to do a March Madness poll for the director they covered in the Fall and last year the Twitter bots were so bad they had to move it all to a website they controller. It silly what people will get so invested in they will game the system for it to win.
oh buddy, we may be ready to move on but there’s a solid 40 hours of capital D Discourse to come.
I actual don’t mind twitter because sometimes it helps lead me in the direction of a breaking news story but I can’t go back on twitter for awhile. People on both sides screaming about his makes my brain want to shut down and go back to sleep.
It wasn’t a hard hit because it was a work. If it was real, Jada would have been within her rights to say, “That’s it, mother fucker? He’s still standing? He can still talk? You call that defending my honor?”
Snyder Fans gave themselves an award.
I heard he’s now called Snydie McSnydeface.
say what you will, but my man Chris sure knows how to take a punch, literally, metaphorically, physically and emotionally. Handled that moment well in all ways- and everyone else should be ashamed of themselves trying to twist into pretzels the justification for why Will was totally ok w/ doing that and we should all examine the violence- “of his words”!!! PLEASE JUMP OFF A BRIDGE NOW. Is that violent? Do I deserve to be assaulted for saying that?
(Yes, 99% of those who defended Smith agree I should be assaulted, the other 1% want me decapitated and put on display at the next Oscars)
We’ve still got several days before people will move on. Like, 3/4 of the topics trending on Twitter all day today have been related to this and how it’s an example of toxic masculinity and shit like that.
Smith should be banned from presenting the Best Actor award next year.
Any thoughts on banning edgy shock comics from punching down on sick peoples’ appearance?
SO edgy, SO shocking, to make a joke about someone with alopecia. Oh wait…alopecia is the main cause of hair loss for people across the globe…and dudes get made fun of it all day every day and nobody gives a shit…and its not an illness… Is it mean? Sure. Does it warrant *literally assaulting someone*? No, and fuck you.
dudes get made fun of it all day every day and nobody gives a shitNot saying that it justifies slapping someone, but this is a massive false equivalency. The societal pressure to look perfect and have beautiful hair is so much more intense on women than men, even in Hollywood. Black women especially are the targets of gross jokes about their hair on a regular basis. Chris Rock himself even made a documentary about it.
this is a massive false equivalencyThe hell it is. Women – especially black women – wearing wigs and weaves is so normalized that no one even comments on it. But just try being male and covering up your bald spot with a toupe and watch the snarky comments fly. If Jada was wearing a wig or a weave or anything else to cover up, her hair wouldn’t have been fair game. But she not only made a big public deal about her alopecia but also shaved her hair close to make a public statement about how she was handling it. That definitely made her fair game for a very gentle joke about how she could be in GI Jane 2.0. Christ, what I wouldn’t give to have MY wife compared to 90’s Demi Moore!
am i the only one who hated that documentary?* it was alright, but i felt like he skirted a fundamental issue – black men’s expectations of black women and their hairstyles.*i’m not black, so grains of salt and what not.
I didn’t watch the show, and woke up this morning to the aftermath thinking “oh wow what the hell happened?”Alopecia? Really? A fucking BALD joke has folks justifying Smith committing a felony on live television? And we’re going to be performatively woke about black women’s hair because a lazy comic made a lazy joke about something nearly the entire human population will experience to a varying degree at some point in their life? Maybe we should think a little harder about how a man can physically assault someone and then get a standing ovation an hour later.
“…and its not an illness…” Autoimmune disease.Learn something.We could also talk about the definition of the term assault…
Y’know what’s mean? Jada and her “entanglement” bullshit. But I guess everyone forgot about that. She cheated on her husband Will Smith with a that august guy, and will didn’t do jack shit! Now THAT shit is fucking crazy to me.
That’s somewhat incorrect. The alopecia you are referring to is pattern baldness which affects up to 80 percent of men and 50 percent of woman and is primarily triggered by genetics and hormones. The alopecia Jada seems to have is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks and destroys hair follicles.
This is all that needs to be said about this.
Also, do we know for sure if he wrote that joke? I’ve heard conflicting things, that he went off script, or that he was on script, but someone else wrote it. Rock may not have even known what he was saying, just that he was reading someone else’s joke.
Yes! And furthermore, I’ve seen Jada’s close-up. She still has plenty of hair, but it’s short. Alopecia makes you lose hair. It doesn’t make your hair short. Chris Rock ain’t psychic. There is no way he could have known she has alopecia. See Jada’s photo here: https://www.billboard.com/culture/lifestyle/jada-pinkett-smith-embraces-hair-loss-alopecia-1235014419/.
Jesus. Cry me a river.Shut the fuck up with the “sick person” bullshit. It’s not like Jada has terminal fucking cancer.
From your lips to god’s (or the Universe’s or the Fates’ or whatever’s) ears…
“sick”Alopecia is literally the main reason human beings go bald.
Source? Alopecia is only the word for the condition of losing hair. Androgenetic alopecia is the main source of hair loss, but we don’t even know if that’s what Jada has. Alopecia areata is much more likely to cause total hair loss in women and it is 100% a disease that causes your immune system to destroy your hair follicles. Plus, many disfigurements might not meet your definition of disease or disability but it’s still wrong to make fun of them. Port wine stains, vitiligo, etc. aren’t actually harmful except that they subject people to discrimination.
She has traction alopecia. Her hair loss is not related to a medical cause, but from previous use of weaves according to Jada herself.
Fun fact: “alopecia” simply means “hair loss.” When used by itself, medically, the term indicates that the cause is unknown.
So why didn’t anyone smack Trump for doing that for decades? Rosie would like a word.That was assault. And we let that psycho sit back down, stay in the house, and collect an award. We are sick.
It’s fine. After all Will Smith loved the joke until his wife told him otherwise
She gave him the stare of, “are you gonna do something”?
No she didn’t and can we stop putting Will Smith’s actions onto Jada. She didn’t laugh and looked upset, which when someone makes a joke at your expense you’re allowed to do. What Will decided to do is on him and him alone.
After all Will Smith loved the joke until his wife told him otherwiseYeah, it seemed to me like Smith was going to let it pass, but then Jada must have given him a “You gonna let that stand?” look that pushed him over the edge. How many men have been goaded into violence that way?
that is my reading and it is also why he got so angry imo. It was supposed to be a night that was all about him, but thanks to Chris’ joke now Jada’s all pissed and its all he’s gonna hear about for the rest of the evening unless he does something about it. at least that is my admittedly worthless armchair analysis. Of course there is also the context of it being an extremely emotional night with loads of pressure to begin with, plus the ongoing weird-to-the-public marriage that has frequently been joked about, largely at Will’s expense
This is a remarkably comprehensive take for the age of social media.
isn’t it just the worst when women “get all pissed” and we have to listen to them? Can’t they just internalize pain and realize we men don’t care about their yapping….. is what your post basically translates to Mr. Armchair.
yeah upon further look at footage, could just as easily be a scenario where Jada wasn’t that upset and just rolled her eyes, but Will decided he had to go all macho anyhow, once he figured out the joke.And hey, i did point out my opinion is worthless, no need to get agitated about it. get back to working for future thanos or whatever
There’s also the possibility he was okay with it until he saw her face, and just looking at the hurt drove him to act. We don’t know these people and are not privy to the minutiae if the context that may have cause Smith to act. Not to say that it was justified. Not a proportional response, even if it was a stupid joke.Also did Rock write that joke? I assume it was the writers for the ceremony and Jesus. Even putting aside the fact it was somewhat insensitive, considering the alopecia, not exactly timely or…Good.
I think the whole point of XPDNC’s comment was to put their bias onto a vaguely interpretable moment. I think they just wanted to “blame the woman” in this scenario.
She looked over and was like “tupac wouldn’t let him talk about me that way”, so Will got heated.
“My boyfriend wouldn’t let him talk about me that way because he’s too young to know better.”
This.
yeah actually Jada IS the villain here! Get her!
women eh
“That younger guy I’m banging woulda gone up there and slapped Chris Rock”
Well, he has to live with her.
bro shut the fuck up. alopecia isn’t fatal and hers isn’t even that bad. She also has more than enough millions for treatment AND the best wigs money can buy. https://www.google.com/search?q=barry+actor+alopecia&rlz=1C1CHZL_enUS754US754&sxsrf=APq-WBu3o8yx5BhVE7A5SZcPVgj4cAH0rw:1648478788314&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiRmOOEhun2AhVvD0QIHYLGBjQQ_AUoAnoECAIQBA&biw=1920&bih=977&dpr=1^^That’s real alopecia.
Yes, don’t ban that.
And if you think Chris Rock is edgy, you probably shouldn’t be allowed near scissors.
I really love the people who are saying that alopecia counts as a disability so this joke was some kind of hate crime.
Chris Rock’s entire existence has been a hate crime against women and gays — or are you cool with his constant dropping of the “B” word, the 0ther “F” word, and the “H” word…?
What is the “H” word? Really, I got nothing.
“Ho” or “Hobag”.
yes he’s a monster who makes jokes on stage, how has he lived this long without being assaulted by celebrity billionaires
This is the wrong take.
Male pattern baldness is a type of alopecia, and NOBODY has an issue making hacky jokes about it. Jada’s is barely recognizable in the way she styles her hair and, as someone who actually keeps up with pop culture, I’d never heard mention of it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Chris Rock hadn’t either. One rich person making a not particularly funny joke about another is all that happened here and the violence was in no way justified
Hair loss is normal.
“Edgy shock comic,” please. Jokes at the Oscars tend to be pretty tame, and that wasn’t even in the running for the meanest joke ever told at the Oscars. He wasn’t punching down, he was punching horizontally, which is what every joke at the Oscars is.
uh, yeah, grow a pair? You’re a zillionaire a-list celeb at the oscars, watching a known edgy comic do a bit, and that’s the bridge too far?
That’s my advice- read the room, grow up, and say your peace after.She’s got alopecia, not AIDS, cancer, etc. It’s not exactly movie-of-the-week heartbreak stuff. She’ll…be ok. Also, the fact that they both live PRETTY publicly with their own things that others are not typically included in means they should have a fairly comfortable acceptance of others “talking about them”. (They literally run a podcast in which they discuss the most intimate, private parts of their lives. With other people.) And Mr. Smith is not exactly known for being coy, private, closed-mouthed or puritanical.It’s a little….ridiculous
Which comic was either edgy or shocking?
Also, her very brave husband is on camera laughing at said joke moments before.
I think most of you pro-physical violence people don’t actually give a shit about Jada Pinkett Smith and just want it to be acceptable to hit someone for saying something you don’t like
“Think long and carefully before advocating for or supporting violence” is something a lot of people have trouble with. (cue the immediate “Violence is obviously justified here!” responses, thus proving my point)
I’m sorry that’s bull. I admire Jada for being open and honest about her hair loss. I think she looked great, but “you kind of look like Demi Moore in GI Jane” is hardly the most shocking or devastating barb ever hurled at a woman’s appearance. Not least of all because many people would point out other than having a shaved head, Demi Moore is still super hot in GI Jane.
Also, while she hasn’t been fully bald, Jada Pinkett Smith has had strikingly short hair for . . . kind of a long time.
You’re 100% right and I’m sorry for all the ableist you’re getting. Chris Rock has indulged in misogynoir for years. It’s not OK, and it’s not condoning violence to say it’s not OK.
It is condoning violence to condone violence though.
You’re such an embarrassment
Please shut up.
misogynoir is the best stupid term I’ve heard all month thank you
verbal violence (and jokes in poor taste) will never justify physical violence
“Edgy shock comics”…dude is like a 55yo man who’s been in children’s cartoons for like a quarter century.
“Sick people”, lol
Durrerrr “punching down”. You’re not intelligent
Not at the moment. But Will Smith shouldn’t present the Best Actor Award next year. (Any thoughts on who actually committed a physical assault at a fucking televised awards ceremony in front of millions of people?)
Is the most popular take among all the other 12-year-olds on Reddit? Thanks, I was curious.
Good Lord, what a drama Queen……….As someone who ACTUALLY has a life-altering disability from birth, I can tell you most ppl with Real Sicknesses usually Also have a sense of humor. Not to mention Chris Rock, is a Literal Legend of a comedian not some Jackhole off the street and should have the FREEDOM to make a harmless joke about a fuckin’ Millionaire……I’m pretty sure she’ll be FINE. In fact, her husband did nothing but draw attention to the whole thing and made it HEADLINE material.
I had alopecia issues in college – had an entire eyebrow basically disappear out of the blue. Definitely took my share of jokes but managed to never slap or punch someone for it.
And, let me guess: you don’t have access to millions of dollars for tattoos or treatments or wigs etc?
Oh, man. I’m sorry, I had the exact same thing happen and lost most of my left eyebrow. Like you, I also never assaulted anyone about it. Separately, I also have MS, and I’m getting really tired of the “alopecia is a disability!!!!” nonsense. It’s such a bad faith argument.
It ended up not being a big deal – got some topical cream to apply that helped me grow my eyebrow back. There’s just six months of pictures where I have one eyebrow in my college photo albums lol. Honestly I have no issues laughing at myself – nothing I can do about stuff like alopecia in short-term, plenty I can do about my attitude. Only time I’d tell someone to stop is if they’re being mean-spirited about it but then I’m not likely to be friends with that person to begin with.
Oh, shut up. She is a public figure who actively and willingly puts every facet of her life on public display, and then willingly went to an Awards show where they joke about the attendees. If your skin is that thin, maybe dont make a career out of sharing every single detail of your life. It comes with the territory. You cant have it both ways.
If you’re not smart enough to defuse a verbal situation with words instead of your fist, then you don’t belong in human society.
It wasn’t even his joke, it was the fucking staff writers. Fine, fire them.
Fuck that. We complain about cancel culture and want to fire a writer over a funny ass joke? You hear the shit Smith’s wife talks about publicly?
Any thoughts on banning thin skinned people from accepting their awards?
And if “edgy comics” is a basis for getting slapped Gervais would of gotten slapped multiple times a year hosting the joke that is the Oscars.
Do we call men with alopecia (also known as male-pattern baldness) “sick”? The Smiths have sat at countless award ceremonies and laughed at much worse jokes that were aimed at others.
Chris Rock making a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith is very literally not punching down. It’s punching sideways. Or maybe even up.
Referencing G.I. Jane is like saying “you are sexy bald.” It’s not like he called her Uncle Fester. Pump your brakes.
She’s not sick
Here’s my hot take:fuck off. And anyone who agrees with you too, you fucking children. You don’t get to compare words—words you don’t like, but words—with physical violence. They aren’t the same. As a guy who was physically abused frequently and emotionally abused even more for most of his teenage years, if you think they’re the same thing, look in the mirror naked and tell yourself you have a tiny penis for two hours straight.Then punch yourself in the balls hard.Which was worse?
That’s a trick question, you may be so off-balance you almost fall over and you really can only feel the weird crushing-twisting sensation—the balls hurt more.Chris Rock is Chris Rock, there were going to be jokes, and with the Smith family inviting the public into their private lives constantly, whether it’s about illness, open marriage, screwing your son’s friend, what the fuck ever, you don’t get to put your life under the microscope and complain when someone says “hey, that sample is wrong. Just kidding.” The Smiths have made themselves into a brand, and it’s a brand found in entertainment and feel-good webseries bullshit about their lives.
Chris Rock could say anything he wants up there, Will is still a piece of shit. And the fucking gall of some fucking people, “Chris Rock punched down,” who do you think has more clout? Chris Rock or Jada Pinkett-Smith? And is the fact that Will Smith is 4 inches taller and 50 pounds heavier (he is, after all, a trained boxer and actor in action films) than the guy he hit, lost on them that the only “punching down” happened between Will’s hand and Chris face? He literally struck a far smaller person than him. What if that was Dwayne Johnson? You think Will’s gonna defend his wife’s honor with a guy who could probably knock him into next week in response? John Cena? Dave Bautista?
He can’t hit Johnson, Johnson may have more clout, can fight, and is much larger. John Cena, less clout, only an inch shorter, built like a freight train.
It was a fucking calculus that he had to do.
Take your incomparable acts comparison and shove it.
Alopecia? Are you saying we can’t make fun of hair loss when that is the entirety of the medical issue? It was not a funny joke, but it was not in any way over the line. And punching Down? Jada Pinkett Smith? Really?
I’ve seen Jada’s close-up. She still has plenty of hair, but it’s short. Alopecia makes you lose hair. It doesn’t make your hair short. Chris Rock ain’t psychic. There is no way he could have known she has alopecia. See Jada’s photo here: https://www.billboard.com/culture/lifestyle/jada-pinkett-smith-embraces-hair-loss-alopecia-1235014419/.
The Oscars will have Smith and Rock present best actress together next year. You know, for the ratings. I wish Rock would refuse. But showbiz is showbiz.
Smith should have been kicked out of the building immediately.
It would have been beautiful for him to be outside trying to look through a window when his name was called for Best Actor. Then the presenter could just toss the statue to Jada.
DJ Jazzy Jeff could have accepted the Oscar on his behalf; a real missed opportunity here
That would be racist.
The Academy does not condone violence!
he and his family should be permanently banned. I’d bet anything Jada pushed him into doing that at that moment, and Jaden had to run his idiot mouth on Twitter “that’s how we do it in our family”, so ban them all. Rock’s joke was dumb and in poor taste (albeit I didn’t know she had alopecia, I just thought she shaved her head as a fashion choice) but adults should do better than reactionary violence.
Yeah, Jaden, we totally agree that your family of super-rich movie stars is very tough.
I would bet (or hope) Jaden has picked a fight he shouldn’t have primarily thinking “I’m Will Smith’s son, either I can kick this guy’s ass OR he’ll be so intimidated by my last name he’ll back down.” I know rich famous kids are supposed to be entitled arrogant pricks but that kid takes it to another level.
Jaden should know this isn’t the Miyagi-do way.
A POX ON WILL! A POX ON HIS HOUSE! NE’ER MORE SHALL THEY BE SEEN IN THIS HALLOWED HALL!
uh oh, is that the Academy’s press release? LOL
Willow wasn’t even there!
well then, she can come to the Oscars but she is banned from the Grammys LOL
Those are acceptable parameters
Yeah, let him sit at home with his boyfriend’s . . . eh, you know.
Are you kidding. They are probably already negotiating for him and Rock to host the whole damn thing next year.
He should be required to slap the winner.
I think Jason Segel should get to slap him five times, whenever he chooses, then sing a song about it.
At next year’s Slapcadamy Awards, that’s what I pray will happen.
He should not have his Oscar taking away if a rapist like Kevin Spacey could keep his Oscar’s then Will should.
I haven’t seen anyone saying they should take his Oscar away, but he should have immediately been escorted out of the building. If you can’t behave like an adult, you have no right to be there. Also, he shouldn’t be allowed back on the stage if the last thing he did there was assault someone. None of that has anything to do with the performance that earned the Oscar. It was well earned.
With the Academy now announcing a “review” I expect Smith will be catching some kind of ban. I can’t see how they could possibly allow him back after assaulting a presenter.
Try should have Questlove do it since Will Smith ruined his moment.
He really should have been immediately removed, right? It’s bizarre that the Academy just allowed someone to walk on stage and hit one of their presenters and then just go back to their seat (Never mind allowing him the opportunity to go back on stage and excuse his own actions with a self-pitying cringy speech)
For what, QJ201? Slapping some respect into a misogynist, homophobic little punk like Chris Rock for insulting his wife, like Rock’s long deserved to be?Sorry, Chris Rock gets no sympathy from me.
I think this would be fair. Deny him the right to participate in the long standing tradition of the previous year’s recipient presenting one of the acting Oscars.
“Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams.” ‘At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the Devil comes for you.’”
It’s all about you, Will. It’s aallllllllll about you…
See, to me, it’s not about the alopecia joke at all. It’s about the open marriage joke earlier in the night from Regina Hall. And the even funnier open marriage joke Rebel Wilson made at the BAFTAs last week. And the dozens of open marriage jokes made over the last few years. But Will Smith can’t hit female comics, or his career would be over. This was the moment where the cuckolded man snaps and decides to show the entire world that he’s a big, strong protector. Because the entire world knows he can’t satisfy his wife.It’s one of the biggest public displays of toxic masculinity in years.
Plus maybe they don’t need to publicly air every bit of their personal laundry if they don’t want it talked about. It’s not news that Hollywood stars fuck around, not sure why they felt the need to actively confirm it.
Yeah hopefully this makes them dip out of the public spotlight for a while. I would be mortified if I was them. Like, get your dirty laundry out of the air
How do you think their kids feel? That must be fun for them.Will and Jada (but mostly Will) seem like they stopped functioning as recognizable humans quite a while ago.
I picture the kids looking at each and the kid from that shitty planet after earth movie shaking his head sadly at his sister and quietly stating, “Parents just don’t understand.”
Nightmare On My Award ShowI Think I Can Beat Chris Rock
Yeah, I can just picture 2Pac sitting up in heaven laughing his ass off about the whole ‘affair’.
He 100% was trying to get his “manhood” back. He’s been getting ragged on for Jada sleeping around, “the open marriage”, whatever they want to call it. But like you said, he couldn’t fight back against any of those female comics. Rock makes an unrelated joke and Smith actually laughs. But he she’s Jada’s reaction and realizes he’s got a chance to show off. He is so utterly full of shit.
Because the entire world knows he can’t satisfy his wife.Eeks… you had me there until you suggested open relationships happen because men can’t satisfy their wives. As if a man’s virility is the lynchpin of a monogamous marriage, and as long as the dick is good, women will never stray, or even want to stray? Yikes, that’s just as toxic of an opinion as Will’s display was of toxic masculinity.
So close, but yet so far.
being in an open marriage doesn’t mean the husband can’t satisfy his wife. all other shit aside, people in open marriages or poly relationships can actually be healthy, fully-functioning, emotionally stable adults with excellent communication skills!Smith obviously lacks some of this but who gives a shit if they’re in an open marriage.
Completely agree with you on open marriages, but I would argue Will Smith is not a healthy or fully-functioning or emotionally stable adult, and clearly lacks communication skills.Moreover, most of the scuttlebutt about the open marriage is that she wants it, not that they both want it. Have you heard anything about women he’s been seen with? Nope. Heard an awful lot about men she’s been seen with.
All very fair points. Just irritating to see a lot of people make these cuckolding or satisfying jokes. I’m not into open marriages or polyamory. Not for me. But I have friends who are, and have honestly healthier sense of self and better communication abilities and are happier than a lot of my “regular” married friends lol. But obv if SHE wants it and he’s just going along, that’s a problem. I also know that happens a lot in failing marriages. “let’s try an open marriage!” “…okay…” but that leads to things just flaming out. Anyway.
I don’t think you’re meant to hit people whether they’re female, comics or what
Now this is a story all about how my award show slap-turned upside-down!
I gave one “bitch” a slap and the world got scared, and it’s all ‘cos my woman she got no hair
Yo Rock slap ya layta!
To really nail home the art imitating life, after the show he told his daughter he was going out to buy her a bike and then he abandoned his family and started a new one across the country where he then sired two tennis masters. They don’t cover that part in King Richard, I assume, but it totally happened apperently.
I just hate everything about that quote that Will Smith attributed to Denzel. It’s gross in the way that it rhetorically shifts any kind of accountability away from the person who assaulted someone on live television. Yeah, the problem isn’t that you morphed into a rage monster, stormed the stage, and hit someone. It’s that you’re too high, too successful, so the Devil came for you and you weren’t careful enough to avoid him. Yeah no. The problem is you flew off the handle and assaulted someone. Be a fucking adult and take responsibility for your unhinged actions.
Yeah, I’ve been kind of off of Denzel ever since the last time he won an Oscar and spent several minutes going on about God.I did run into him once at a restaurant though. He was waiting for the bathroom and looked like he wanted to kill me because I made him wait for the bathroom.
You know an overwhelming number of all people in the world, including entertainers, believe in God right?
No shit, really?
And you do know that God’s existence is impossible to prove, right?
Nobody’s perfect.
Famous people spend a lot of time cleaning bathrooms because everyone remembers when they were in there and assume they made the mess.Somebody else did that joke better. Sorry.
To be fair, that’s how everyone looks when waiting in a line to use a public restroom.
I mean…that’s not what the Denzel line means.It’s about feeling untouchable because things are going well, rather than staying under control.
This is pretty much why religion exists
It’s a great quote if you’re trying to calm your friend down and try to get him back in emotional shape to make the biggest speech of his career. It only becomes a bad quote when the friend blows it, doesn’t apologize during his speech, and then uses that quote as a “Devil made me do it” kind of excuse.
I mean, Chris Rock would have been well within his rights to press charges, but it was just a slap. I had to check Twitter (*shudder*) to confirm that the slap was real because from the angle they used it looked like a stage punch. It was only the awkward censoring (which cut out Rock’s “Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me”) and the weird vibe in the room that made me go, “Huh. Maybe it was real.” Like I said before though, Chris Rock is a fuckin’ pro. I kept waiting to see if he’d touch his jaw or if his voice would crack, but he soldiered through whatever the teleprompter was telling him to say. It was surreal af to watch live.
Dude, the main thing I learned from last night is that Rock can take a hit like a champ.
To me it looked like he has had practice/experience getting hit and knew how to take it.
To me it looked like he has had practice/experience getting hit and knew how to take it.He grew up in Brooklyn, so I would say he did.
As a Brookylnite, can confirm. We’re always slapping and punching eachother. Why just yesterday, I had to deck someone for taking my favorite hummus flavor at the Park Slope Food Co-op
Sounds like lunch time at the all boys Catholic school in Jersey I went to – never try to take anyone’s tatter tots
This made me laugh…a lot. Thank you. Although to be fair, if artofWJD had instead specified Crown Heights, the comment would have worked. Brooklyn’s a big place.
Chris Rock has talked openly about the violence and sexual abuse he endured as a child. Without jokes. Will Smith went after the physically smallest guy, who he knew for a fact wouldn’t/ couldn’t fight back. He’s a narcissist and a coward and a bully.
It didn’t look like it was just a slap. Sure, not a punch, but it was a big swing. Rock, however, rightly probably thinks pressing charges is going to be futile. Nothing will happen to someone like Will Smith, and it’ll just be a hassle for Rock. Rock’s joke wasn’t even a good one and punched down, but Smith’s reaction and later justification really makes him appear to be the worse offender (at least to me). Rock can move on without pressing charges and he’ll be fine. Smith will be dealing with this for a while.
I don’t expect it’s anything to do with the likelihood of Smith being prosecuted – for a comic who wants to be thought of as a bit edgy, taking a smack from Will Smith for insulting his wife in a joke, without complaint, is PR gold.
i hope Rock totally leans into this and Makes Will Smith his proverbial punching bag for the next 20 years, until Smith has to publicly apologize and grovel and do a podcast apologizing to him live.But, probably, they’ll just have their people hash it out and make a big joke of it next year, and that’s it.
I agree Smith was the worse offender but there are a surprising number of hypersensitive people on this comment board who feel a dumb joke can be responded to appropriately with physical violence. (I know this is apples and oranges, but given Rock’s old “I don’t condone OJ killing his wife, but I understand” bit, I wonder what he thinks about this response.)
Tiffany Haddish’s take that that’s what a man is supposed to do is a particularly archaic take, and I’m sure she’s not the only one with that view.
I think she’s engaged. I hope her fiancé is good at fighting.
Didn’t Sam Kinison make that joke? Or something like it?
maybe he did and I don’t remember it, that would certainly fit his “oeuvre”, but I know Rock did it in one of his televised specials and it was funny. Here, not so much LOL.
Rock’s joke wasn’t even a good one and punched downCome one, a Jada joke is not really punching down. It’s more like punching across.
Rock didn’t punch down. The Smith’s are one of the most powerful families in Hollywood and are worth more than $350m. But yeah, this was still a bad move on Smith’s part in that this will be all anyone talks about (until something shinier comes along). It’s the epitome of Streisand effect. If he kept his cool no one would remember that Chris Rock was even at the Oscars, let alone his lame joke.
About ‘punching down’, I guess I was thinking of Jada relative to CR, rather than Will or the Smiths combined relative to CR. If it’s the latter, then y’all are correct. Just the reaction to Will Smith’s from those attending further illustrates how popular he is. I know there was confusion and I know that the cheers and standing ovation weren’t a consensus, but a lot of big-name celebrities were not letting that assault get in the way of the evening and weren’t gonna cross Will Smith. That, however, might be temporary. Once they’ve had time to chat with their publicists, even the people clapping for Smith will probably end up saying something about not condoning violence.
People keep saying he was “punching down” WTF?? She’s a rich ass actress with a common, if not somewhat mildly annoying, hair loss issue, she doesn’t have Muscular Dystrophy dude……….lol SHE’LL BE FINE.
Of course he can. When you know it’s coming and you had a stunt worker train you how to take it earlier in the evening, it’s easy.
Yeah that was a fully open-handed blow. Plus Smith probably has 30 pounds on him. Pretty solid recovery by Rock.
It’s not like he got a shot from Tyson. It was a sissy slap from the fruit who sang a comic ditty about fantasizing about losing to Tyson.
Guess we know who the bigger & blacker man is.
Oof.
The US feed also cut because they are on a delay so most of it was missed, but overseas, you can see that he is like WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!
I remember interviews where Rock talked about constantly getting beaten up and bullied by white kids at the school he was bussed to. I think he even dropped out because of it. He I’m sure hasn’t endured that for years but I’m also sure that type of training, so to speak, never goes away. And I’m sure what he took as a kid was way worse than a prima Donna’s slap. Couple that with years of stand-up and dealing with hecklers and unpredictable crowd situations, and you got one poised dude.
It’s wild to me that y’all are reporting this without watching the uncensored clip at all. Chris Rock reacted more to it, but it was cut from the US broadcast. Check out any of the clips from Australia or elsewhere where he complains to Smith “Wow dude. It was a GI Jane joke,” and then responds to Smith’s request to keep her name out of his mouth by saying “I’m going to.”Doesn’t substantially change the story, but come on!
Don’t forget the moment where he says: ‘I could…’ before cutting himself off and making the ‘best night in the history of television’ quip.
I dunno what was gonna follow that ‘I could…’ but I’d love a peek into the alternate universe where he finished that sentence.
Something about the infidelity and the rumored open marriage I’m sure.
if the word “cuck” had left Rock’s mouth we might be talking about murder charges this morning LOL
Eh, Smith has confirmed that he gets side action as well. Those two seem made for each other.
…put something else of hers in my mouth.”Imagine if Rock had kept it going and made Will Smith really snap…
“Yo holmes, slap ya layta!”
This is where age and maturity is overrated. 57 year old Chris stopped himself. 25 year old Chris would have unleashed the gates and the Oscars would have turned into a Roast of Will and Jada.Sure, he made the right “social” call. But I’m sitting on my couch with the popcorn. Give that 25 year old reaction
I do think there’s something to be said for the fact that Chris Rock was genuinely (and understandably) a little flustered in the immediate aftermath.I suspect they’ll be trying to line him up to host next year though. So that they can capitalize on this.
I dunno what was gonna follow that ‘I could…’ but I’d love a peek into the alternate universe where he finished that sentence.Careful about how you use that monkey’s paw, friend. Around 2015 I offhanded commented to a friend that “I wish I had a dimensional window so I could see the universe where Trump actually won.”
In February of 2020 I wished I had more time to spend at home with the kids, and learn to bake sourdough bread.
Not only was it ALL YOUR FAULT, but you’ve proven the Mandela Effect nutjobs right! Truly, you have a lot to answer for.
Chris could have absolutely filibustered for ten minutes, burn down Will, burn down Jada and burn down the academy. If they tried to play him off, you know he’d fucking snap.“I’m done when he’s not in this room anymore.”He could have rightly held that stage hostage until someone carried him off it, and he still wouldn’t have been out of line.
Let’s suppose the actor was White who cuffed Rock. Would Rock have pressed charges then? (I bet yes.)
“I’m gonna slap Chris Rock. That’ll show people just how masculine I am and totally stop those rumors about my sexuality!” ~Will Smith, probably
“ROCK, WELCOME TO EARTH!” *slap*
I got in one little sissy slap-fight ‘n my moms got scared!
To get the whole impact (no pun intended) of this story you really need to see the acceptance speech, too. I’m no mental health professional, but it’s obvious Will is working through some personal stuff, and was doing the same when making this movie. Family issues, father issues, etc. His comments about “protecting” not only his family, but the Williams family and even just the actresses playing them was interesting. His family and his kids do get crap in the media, but he’s got more than that going on. And Chris Rock just kind of stepping into that without realizing it, I’d say.
Father issues.Parents just don’t understand
huh, maybe he could write a song or something to work through all those feelings. Something like…I’ve Become my Crazy Father…
I’d also take it with a grain of salt since they were also in damage control right after The Slap, and that speech was likely designed at the last minute in part by his publicist (rightfully so since that’s her job) and some of his colleagues like Denzel.
The thing with the Smith kids is that I really think a lot of shit Jaden got was because it was clear his Daddy was trying to make him a star that he clearly was not. Maybe Charisma skips a generation or something because based on his movies, especially After Earth, Jaden is like the opposite of Will at that age. Which, you know what, is not a bad thing. Striving to be as charismatic as Will Smith is just going to lead to failure. Jaden has his music career, which people(including myself) gave him shit about early on but it turns out he’s actually really talented there. Maybe some day he will come back to acting and blow us all away but it won’t be by being like his Dad because he is clearly a different type of dude
I liked Jaden in Neo Yokio. His delivery works if you’re not going for a Will Smith Jr. I kind of hope he finds more deadpan roles since he’s pretty decent at it.
Let’s not forget: “Whip My Hair Back and Forth” is a BOP and better than about 50% of her dad’s rap output.
There’s also a rumor that he had been drinking like people often do at the Oscars.
So now we know. Will Smith could shoot someone on Hollywood Boulevard and not lose votes.Why do we let bullies win?
Why is this even newsworthy?I think it was an ad hoc moment to generate buzz.Mission accomplished.
If Will Smith was genuinely offended he would have a) call Chris Rock out in the press & demanded an apology or b) charged the stage like he was just hit with a fast ball and it wouldn’t have been a bitch slap – more likely a tackle.
Why is this year’s winner for Best Actor slapping an Oscar presenter and megastar comedian newsworthy?
Yeah. I think it smells. I genuinely think it’s showboating for water cooler talk.
And why are you visiting a pop culture website?
I’m sorry. I didn’t realise that I had to check in with you. There are other thing on the site & this thing popped up in the margins
I accept your apology.
None was offered
Ah. I see.I’ll try to avoid irony in the future
Take the L, man.
whisper it in his ear.
I’ve personally been through situations like this. The first was a drunk guy hitting on my girlfriend at a Christmas party. In that case, I whispered in his ear turned away with my girlfriend and left. The second time was a guy getting touchy/feely with my wife. She asked me if I could sort the guy out, which I did with a crushing handshake. Never bothered her again. The third time was someone peeing on my wife at a Clapton concert. In that case, I called the guy out – loudly. The ushers came & we pressed charges. I really think it is acting to get a buzz. Neither of these guys strike me a the type for this stupidity. Will Smith’s walk to and from the stage was too measured. The bitch slap looked telegraphed. Chris Rock rolled his head. Will Smith is a big guy, Chris Rock isn’t. If Rock was hit THAT hard, he should have fallen or at least stumbled. I just don’t buy it.
I’m not sure what your anecdotes have to do with any of this, but what you’re saying is you don’t think the Oscar winner for Best Actor slapping a presenter and megastar comedian is newsworthy because it could have possibly been staged? And you don’t think the very act of faking it would be newsworthy either? For someone visiting the AV Club, your standard for what is newsworthy is extremely high.
I think that it was staged & as such don’t consider it particularly newsworthy. As I said before, the story popped up in the margin & I opined.
My anecdotes serve only to demonstrate why I believe it was staged.
“whispered in his ear”?
As opposed to yelling it in a crowd
I mean, it’s also likely he was drinking. Most people at the Oscars do. Take a well-known temper and add a little alcohol and a clear path to the stage and welp…
Isn’t it the district attorney’s office that decides whether or not someone is charged with a crime?
Not, generally, when both parties are free to press charges. They usually only go around such things if one side is unable to do it, either because of injury, death or if they are not consenting adults.
Technically, yes. The police could file a complaint, and/or the DA could pursue an indictment, even if the victim doesn’t file a complaint. IIRC, this sometimes happens in domestic violence cases, where by the time the cops have arrived the abusive spouse has talked(/threatened) the victim out of filing charges, but the cops will make an arrest anyway. In a case where an assault is caught on video, or there are other witnesses/evidence, you don’t necessarily need the victim to cooperate with the prosecution.In reality, in a situation like this where there doesn’t seem to be much (if any) physical damage done, it’s extremely unlikely the police or DA will pursue it unless the victim insists on filing a complaint. Heck, they’ll often try to dissuade the victim from filing a complaint, even while telling them they have the right to do so.
I do wonder if this was about alopecia, or is there is something more substantial going on with her health. If that were the case it would make the emotional response much more understandable.
Yeah, I think she looked a bit more frail yesterday too. I wonder if she has something more medically wrong with her they are hiding. Would explain the emotional reaction far more.
If she is, it is unrelated to what she has said about her hair loss. She has said she has traction alopecia from having tension on her natural hair from repeated use of weaves – that’s also why it is an issue on parts of her head and not all over. So either she has been lying about that or any other health issues are unrelated.
Or because the whole thing was staged? Anyone really think Chris Rock is still doing GI Jane jokes?Oscars wanted people to be talking about the Oscars. Here we are.
That’s the most disappointing part. The GI Jane joke. A flop 25 years old and that’s what he’s got?
I mean, if you’re going to go mean, go mean. The Black Powder joke is right there.
yeah, my saddest moment in all this was thinking, “Did Rock really go for a GI JANE joke?”and the next saddest: Did Will Smith really just punch him OVER A GI JANE JOKE?!?
You will get your slap in the mail. Black Powder. Jesus.
You owe me a nickel if you use it.
Black Power Jesus?
How do you make a hormone?
Don’t pay her.
I’m always willing to call out phony Hollywood stuff, but this one seemed to be real to me. Chris Rock seemed flustered and thrown off his game in a pretty genuine way. I don’t think he can act that well.
The censor delay just reminded me of the reason for it – Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction” and what everyone, including people who didn’t watch the Super Bowl, were talking about the next day. The GI Jane thing goes back to 2016, just seems really odd Chris Rock would just happen to go to that well again.
Well, I’m willing to admit it when I’m wrong – seems like this was a legit tantrum. Stunk of a stunt to me at first since it was so silly and off-brand – who better to walk away unscathed from it than the guy who won an Oscar after 5 years of bad movies? I’m still not going to watch the Oscars next year.
wow, what a dumb thing to think, let alone say.
I actually typed it.
For a few seconds I thought it was a joke, until Rock couldn’t read his next lines and Smith was going apeshit from the front row. I mean come on, it was MUCH more likely to be a staged bit than for an actor to jump on stage and actually assault a presenter.
Sure, I thought it was staged at first too, but given everything we know now, the next day, I think you’d have to be a contrarian to continue insisting it was staged.
So they roped in two megastars to have a fake fight about a woman’s hair loss?
So despite all the evidence that it was real, you think it’s fake because Chris Rock wouldn’t make a dated movie reference? You’re clearly not familiar with his past Oscar jokes.
I know I’m not.
Let’s just say making dated movie references is not uncommon.
It’s kinda 99% of Oscars presenter schtick.
Yes, because Disney and the Academy are cool with assault and their nominees yelling f-bombs at the stage. You are insane if you think this interaction was in any way a scripted bit that the producers would have approved.
Why not? Gilbert Gottfried hasn’t written a new joke since 1972.
My understanding is that the Oscars have a set of writers back stage feeding the hosts and presenters jokes to a teleprompter. Some 50 year old writer who can only get a job writing jokes for the Oscar thought it was funny and fed it to Chris.
If Chris Rock (who, let’s remember, is a very successful comedian) was prepared to instantly read a joke, fed to him by teleprompter that he’d not seen before, live on stage in front of a huge worldwide audience, then he deserves slapping.*clarification* he does not deserve slapping. But you know what I mean.
So you think Will Smith would torch his entire reputation for the sake of an Oscars bit? You think he would tarnish the night he was the odds on favorite to win an Oscar by doing a bit like this and not making it very clear at some point that it was a bit?What a galactically bad take.
Torch his entire reputation??? He won best actor 5 minutes later, plenty of people are gonna like him more than ever after this.
Watch the unedited version that aired overseas, he looked pretty stunned.
Ohhh! And Will Smith played along and pretended to assault someone on TV in order to help the dwindling Oscar ratings. Good theory.
Agreed, the Oscars are relevant again, and if we don’t have a live telecast you could miss out on all of these moments! My spidey sense is tingling, this feels fake to me.
Its hard to overstate how dumb you have to be in order to believe this.
i mean, it’s 2022 and dudes are still making jokes about women with short hair, so…..
The oscars are not that clever. In fact the oscars have turned into a big ad for Disney.
Not everything is a psyop
Does Chris Rock deserved to be slapped? Yes. Did he deserve it for that joke? No.
They should change the name of this place to The Slap Club, and focus stories on more so slap-related content, as it were.
Here’s the ultra high quality uncensored version without the Japanese translation.
So Smith was okay with other men shtupping with his wife during a ‘break’, but he’s absolutely enraged that a professional comedian made one joke about her?This guy’s priorities lol…
Wtf
I think their marriage has always been “open”. Just because you are in an open marriage doesn’t mean you are fine with people picking on your wife’s appearance.
Smith wasn’t white knighting over his wife’s appearance. He didn’t even talk about her in that unhinged acceptance speech. It was all about him and how he felt emasculated by Pinkett Smith’s public revelations about their relationship.
“white” knighting?
I prefer Wayne Knighting.
I prefer Dwayne Wayne-ing
Anyone else remember the last time Rock hosted and he had the Girl Scout cookie bit? Lou Gossett Jr. got a box and Rock screamed, “No, Lou Gossett Jr.! You got diabetes!” The diabetes disease folks got mad at him for that too.
Here’s the thing, and it’s kind of important reading for people of the AV Club.
Fuck you. No one cares.
Here’s the thing, and it’s kind of important reading for people of the AV Club.Fuck you. No one cares. – The A.V. Club
i remember when he joked about Luther Vandross or maybe Rick Ross marketing new headphones called Diabeats, i found it somewhat clever at the time
“No, Lou Gossett Jr.! You got diabetes!”I laughed.
“The Academy does not condone violence of any form.”Except in the movies they make.
Or by letting someone who committed violence on their stage to hang out for the rest of the night
AMEN to that nope nope nope nope! WHERE were the security guards to escort Will’s ass out of the theatre? Would Will get away with slapping a Jimmy Kimmel or Ricky Gervais? Hell to the no!
Except when it makes everyone actually talk about the Oscars for longer then a minute, and makes people tune in.
Right? I mean, what are they going to say? “We obviously condone violence. Violence is great.”
Cool, so now I can watch NASCAR for the crashes, hockey for the fights and the Oscars for, well, the fights.
“While The Academy has always encouraged violence in all forms, we remind our members that pre-scripted violence is preferred”
“The Academy does not condone violence of any form, but God are we thankful that people are actually talking about the Oscars again!”
The only take I have on this whole business is that anyone pushing the “it was all staged!” narrative is an unmitigated dumbass.
Chris Rock totally missed the opportunity for a bombastic comeback. After Will Smith yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f’ing mouth!” Rock could have retorted, “Sure, but I’ll put something else of hers in my mouth!” Just imagine the pandemonium!
“Why start now?” would have been a solid comeback.
“Damn, Will. If I would have slept with her, you’d be less mad”
I can 100% hear Rock saying “Damn son, guess I should have just fucked her!” with that great cadence he has. Now THAT would have been something to see.
I thought you meant the Jerk Store comeback.
Will Smith, keepin’ it real . . . real dumb!
Nice try but the line is “Maybe you’d be a little more understanding if she could keep some things out of HER mouth……”
“I get why you didn’t win for ‘Ali’!”
When Rock shook his head right before his greatest night line he said something like “I could roll with it.” He obviously had 20minutes of material just appear in his head. Also if Smith had kept his mouth shut we wouldn’t be talking so much about it.
Rock could have proceeded to make fun of Smith’s attention-starved kids?
Better that you leave Chris Rock to do the ‘jokes’.
already looking forward to the impossibly awkward but probably inevitable “reunion/make up” interview with the two of them on 60 Minutes. They’re both waaaaay too brand-conscious (Smith especially) to let an opportunity like this slip by to show their depth and they’re still “buds” and all that other bullshit.
in 1999 Rock played MSG and made a joke about Will from stage and Will Smith was IN THE AUDIENCE AND GOT UP AND ACCOSTED HIM (jokingly, at least, to be fair) from the crowd, leading Rock to yell “OH my god, Will Smith is HERE? I’ve been making that joke for 5 months and HE”S HERE?!?”I was there. I saw it.soo…they’ve got some history, even casual, that this should not have gone down that way. Will Smith is a big baby man who has been famous since he was a teenager. People like that do not typically play by “normal social rules” and codes, and often don’t have anyone telling them what’s ok and not. Everything is “Of course, Mr. Smith, of course” and “That’s great! You were great!” No one tells the guy who pays them “NO” and no one tells the a-list superstar “you should reconsider your words or actions”, ever.Not even the Academy, who should have had him tossed onto the street immediately.
Iyanla can mediate
I am betting they are joking about it on stage at the Oscars next year as co-hosts
Fuck that. It’ll be SNL in a week or two.
My prediction: A sketch about Smith slapping everyone at a grocery store who tells him anything he doesn’t want to hear.
It’s definitely an Oprah couch episode for sure.
The one Tom Cruise ruined?
“When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”
I kinda wish Rock had said “and that’s why you didn’t win the Oscar for Ali!”
At least he’d remembered the right-hand lead.
i’ll remind y’all in 1999 at MSG Chris Rock joked about Will Smith and Will Smith GOT UP FROM THE AUDIENCE AND ACCOSTED HIM ONSTAGE.
I was there: “OH crap Will Smith is HERE? I’ve been telling this joke for months and he’s actually here!?!”Will had a big laugh about it. So it’s not exactly “new material” that he was so shocked to find out a comedian might make jokes about someone at an awards show.
Jada is a monster of a human. She’ss a control freak and manipulates her son and Will to become monsters just like her.Fuck her.Will is no better than a reared dog at this point, pretty sad.
Is she whipping her . . . head back ‘n forth?
I keep seeing comments like this and wondering what celeb gossip I am not hearing.
The open marriage was news to me. Not that it’s any of my fucking business
I’m going to quote the great Professor Longhair: “Looka there, she ain’t hair” (after nickety knocking his woman’s wig off). Also, Lightnin’ Hopkins: “I don’t want no woman, if her hair ain’t no longer than mine.” Black men have been dealing with short haired women issues for a long time. “keeping a poor man buying wigs all the time.”
Will, you’ve looked like the “crazy father” ever since those two little vanity projects you call your children popped into existence.
I said it above but the Smith kids really have stepped out from their parents shadows and now that they seem to be doing what they like, are better people and better creators for it. Trying to make Jaden a movie star was just such a misstep. I never saw a kid who wanted to be in a movie less then him.
This is what happens when your wife manipulates you into becoming a willing cuck.
The Academy does not condone violence except if Will Smith assaults the host. Then he can stay and accept his award
Keepin’ it real: Every Black guy knows pressing charges would be a bitch move. (It’s a stigma, but that’s the perception)
Besides, he can see where Will was coming from:
The Will Smith Slap interrupted the mid-show viewing of “Army of the Dead” which we all tuned in for.
Any case that actually reaches a judge over a single mid-tier slap requires that both the plaintiff and defendant pay the court fees directly to the taxpayers who were funding such a nothing case.
This entire thing has been such overblown nonsense.
Will and Jada’s relationship sounds like hell.
I react two ways. On one hand, you get the mentality of upper crust Hollywood entitlement that says you can do stupid shit like this without consequences AND many, many problems with the you-have-besmirched-the-honor-of-this-fair-maiden mentality. On the other, as someone whose spouse has struggled with health issues and who knows what it’s like to be there as a person you love struggles with the emotional and practical impacts of all that, I do spark for just a second at someone making a public joke and go “Right on Will.” Just a second though. ‘Cause, you know, he probably just embarrassed her more.
1) Does Rock have a secret crush on Jada? Is he jealous of her?
2) Chris Rock can live off this for a while so why press charges?
3) People get made fun of in poor taste all day long. If you’re a celebrity, what’s new? 4) Will Smith, smh.
Chris Rock could’ve doubled down and absolutely torched Smith and the family. You could hear him considering it, “Ohhh I could—-” but he didn’t. Because it wouldn’t benefit anybody for this to go on further than it did. He took the hit. Got his money. And let the night move on. Why press charges and turn this into a whole ting? As a comedian, you know this is the risk, and, sad as it is, Smith’s Oscar win is now inextricably linked to him slapping Chris Rock. History’s made. Rock’s got fodder for new material for his next special. There’s absolutely going to be a Red Table Talk with the three of them.
I would love to hear Chris Rock doing a Kathy Griffin style recount of the events of the evening.
Does it have to be Kathy Griffin style? I feel that would lose the support he has.
You mean he should hold up a decapitated Will Smith effigy?
I’m not sure he was prepared to double down. Going after a normal heckler is one thing, but if someone has already gotten up and slapped you, who knows what they might do with their blood already hot. I think Rock was genuinely confused, and once he realized that Smith was that upset, he sounded like he was genuinely trying to convince him that he wasn’t trying to actually hurt anybody.
I dunno. We weren’t in his head, after all, but it did seem like the thought crossed his mind right after he recovered. “I could—“ then stopped himself. There is, after all, a LOT he could dunk Will Smith about, and he had the podium to do it. He could’ve humiliated him and made the situation worse, even if there was a risk Will might run back on stage. But he clearly thought better of it and tried to assuage him instead, which was the smarter choice, IMO.
Indeed. As Rock composed himself there was a moment where he was going to go on comedian attack mode and cut himself off. He wisely decided that could exacerbate the situation and it wasn’t worth it, for many reasons. While he remained professional the entirety of the security team and committee members in attendance didn’t. Smith should’ve been escorted off the premises after that outburst.
How about we just let this die. Smith shouldn’t have hit Rock, he should apologize, and let’s just get on with our day.
The coverage is over-the-top, but I’d add the academy should probably have some kind of policy in place for such an event. It’s crazy to me that Smith was allowed to stay and accept an award shortly after. At minimum that’s the kind of thing that ought to get you thrown out for the rest of the show whether you’re nominated for/win an award or not.
Exactly
Apparently most of the members of this years committee were spread out in the audience (which is the norm), obviously caught off guard, and by the time they could even find a place to meet and talk Smith was already into his acceptance speech. Smith certainly should’ve been thrown out, but I expect they don’t have a policy for quite this situation. If Rock hadn’t been a trooper about it, and instead called for security to remove Smith, that probably would’ve happened, but I can see why he wouldn’t have wanted to make even more of a mess out of the situation.
Smith was clearly willing to laugh it off until he saw the look on his wife’s face, which said “you just gonna let him talk to me like that?”Right or wrong, that look demands action now or consequences later. Jada likely was quite appreciative.
Quite appreciative? That’s a ridiculously stupid and patriarchal view. Jada is quite capable of defending herself. Instead Smith turned the whole thing into a spectacle about himself and his massive insecurities after Jada revealed they have an open marriage, but that she also cheated on him, even in the confines of that relationship.
I’ve liked Will Smith since the 80s and have held him up in high regard…but, sorry, this action on the part of The Academy has to happen. It was uncalled for behavior on Smith’s part. He mentioned his mom last night. Glad she’s still around. What would she say? The world as already going in a bad direction. It doesn’t need this kind of help…and Will Smith would have been the last person I thought would have done such a thing.
There are the two worlds of No Fisticuffs/Yes Fisticuffs at The Oscars. Now I have to live the rest of my life in the latter. Will: C’mon, man!
Can we talk about Gaga being sweet to Liza Minelli instead?
The wrong Rock got slapped.
Hot take, but I feel more comedians should get a fresh one across the chops every now and then. I think it will keep them honest. Weed out the smarmy edgelords, if you will.
People fell for this? That ‘slap’ was the biggest Work I’ve seen since Jerry Lawler and Andy Kaufman were in the ring together.
To what end?
Spike Lee angrily tweets out Chris Tucker’s address.
Now that is funny.
If I had more stars to give.
Here’s that Denzel moment.
I’m imagining this whole event to have more of a Streisand Effect, whereby Will Smith’s wife’s name will still be kept in Chris Rock’s “fuckin’ mouth”, as well as every other comedian’s.
I was already sad that they’d turned something that was once somewhat sophisticated and magical into the MTV Awards. Then Will went and turned it into the BET Awards. Hope nobody gets shanked next year. Disgraceful. As a black man it hurts my heart to say this but these Oscars are apparently getting way too black. Act with dignity please. This should have been the biggest night of this man’s professional life and this is all anyone will ever think about now. SMH at this ignorance.
Yeah they’re conducting a formal review,,,, into how well the whole thing did and how much traction it got. It was a stunt.
The big question here is what was worse, Will Smith committing physical assault on Chris Rock before accepting Best Actor, or Adrian Brody committing sexual assault on Halle Berry while receiving Best Actor. Hm.
Man, the misogyny in this comment section is something. The conversation should only be about the actions between two men. Jada and Will’s relationship history should have no bearing and her reaction to a joke (which was to not laugh?) should have no bearing.
And then they’ll do a review for every oscar given to Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, and Harvey Weinstein
I’m guessing Chris Rock got used to getting slapped a long time ago. He seems to have taken it in stride, just all in a day’s work.
What a terribly written article/post. Smith didn’t laugh “sarcastically.” He laughed genuinely. He didn’t “stand up from his seat and hit Rock.” He stood up from his seat, walked fifty or sixty feet, then hit rock. Smith then “returned” to his seat. From where? You hadn’t established that he left his seat. He “told” Rock. He yelled loudly and angrily twice. Denzel “reportedly” calmed Smith down during a commercial break. Reported by whom? There’s video of Washington talking to Smith but the content of what was said hasn’t appeared anywhere.