Nobody will forget this moment. Will Smith smacks Chris Rock’s face in a bang that echoes around the world. An audience of millions is stunned – and rightly so.
A punch in the face. Journalists like to use these words when commenting on controversial political decisions or speeches. But this time I mean it literally. Will Smith punched Chris Rock in the face. Simply that way. Out of nowhere. During this year’s Oscars. In front of an audience of millions.
No, this moment was not scripted. The two actors, who are known for their sense of humor, didn’t agree and staged a crazy gag here. It wasn’t a stunt to show the world just how incredibly authentic Hollywood is, either. This is proven by the fact that Chris Rock declined to press charges after the incident. The Los Angeles police were even forced to make a statement – read more about it here.
Will Smith acted out of affect – and reacted as impulsively as someone who was deeply hurt. It was this one line that provoked Smith and finally made the camel’s last straw: “I can’t wait to see you in The Jane Files 2,” Chris Rock said to Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. A tacky joke that referenced how Demi Moore starred in ‘The Jane Files’ with his head shaved and Jada Pinkett Smith is suffering from hair loss due to a medical condition.
The 50-year-old rolled her eyes in disbelief at the bad joke. Her husband, however, got up and ran straight to Chris Rock on stage. That’s where it happened: the moment of scandal that overshadowed the rest of the evening. Nobody talked anymore about the winning film “Coda” or the surprisingly empty favorite “The Power of the Dog”, which won only one award out of twelve nominations. Or about the elephant in the room, which put the Oscars in a bad light this year: Because the Academy Awards were rarely as apolitical and irrelevant as in 2022 – and of all times at a time when Ukraine is sinking into war.
So that punch had left more than just the red mark on Chris Rock’s cheek. A multi-level slap, sort of. As a spectator, you sat stunned, incredulous and completely perplexed in front of the television: “He just didn’t really do that?” Shot through your head. When it quickly became clear that Will Smith had slapped his colleague on purpose and without prior consultation, the next level followed. The reconstruction of the male feud.
It was going to be his big night until Will Smith lost his composure after a nasty joke – and slapped his fellow actor on the Oscar stage in front of an audience of millions – a moment that now overshadows the first Oscar win of his career.
What happened?
Rock took the stage to present the Best Documentary category. He started out by making a few jokes about viewers, including Pinkett Smith, whom he dubbed “G.I.” Jane.”
The comedian made a reference to the 1997 film The Jane Files, in which actress Demi Moore plays an elite soldier with a shaved head. Rock made fun of Pinkett Smith, who suffers from hair loss.
Shortly after making the joke, Smith walked up to the stage and slapped Rock in the face. He then returned to his seat and shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your damn mouth.”
Background: Jada Pinkett Smith shaved her hair because of her alopecia disease. Obviously a sore point for Will Smith.
According to Vanity Fair, the US broadcast was immediately turned down so Smith’s tirade couldn’t be heard.
What not to see: Denzel Washington AND Jada Pinkett Smith tried to calm down Will Smith after his outburst during the commercial break.
Will Smith’s acceptance speech almost 45 minutes later then confirmed: This slap was not played. Smith tearfully apologized for his behavior. The guests in the hall applauded.
“Love makes you do crazy things,” Will Smith said at the end of his speech. And: “I hope the Academy invites me back.” He had to laugh himself – and the Oscar guests with him.
One thing is certain: This scandal will accompany the otherwise scandal-free Will Smith for a long time to come…
