Will Smith Really Did Slap Chris Rock In The Face During The Oscars Because He Made A Joke About Jada Pinkett Smith
We all expected the 2022 Academy Awards to be yet another boring display of Hollywood celebrities getting together to look pretty and accept awards for movies that barely anybody has seen. How wrong we were.
Last night's Oscars ceremony proved to be one of the most dramatic award shows we have seen in recent history. There was an exchange between Will Smith and Chris Rock that made everyone's jaw drop and question whether this was real or whether it was totally staged to increase the ratings.
Will Smith Slapped Chris Rock in the Face on Stage When He Made a Joke About Jada Pinkett Smith
Most of us are still in disbelief that this even happened so let's break it down. Chris Rock was presenting the Academy Award for Best Documentary when he cracked a few jokes, as comedians do. He joked that because both Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz were nominated for an Academy Award (for Best Actor and Best Actress respectively), Bardem would hope that if Cruz didn't take home the Oscar, neither would he, as it would make for an awkward evening between the married couple. And if she didn't, Rock joked that Bardem would specifically pray for Smith to take the Oscar home instead.
That's when Rock turned his attention to Jada Pinkett Smith and said, "Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can't wait to see it." The joke was a reference to her bald head, which is apparently a result of a condition called alopecia.
When the camera cut to Smith and Pinkett Smith, Will seemed to be laughing heartily while Jada stared at him with daggers in her eyes. Next thing you know, Will is strutting onto the stage to slap Rock square in the face.
Smith then goes back to his seat and yells at Rock, "Leave my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth!"
"Wow, dude," Rock replied from the stage. "It was a GI Jane joke."
"Keep my wife's name out your f***ing mouth!" Smith screamed at the top of his lungs yet again from his seat. Here's the unedited version.
The whole theater went quiet and just watched the drama unfold. While some question whether it was staged, it's seeming more and more like the whole thing happened naturally. Was Rock's joke inappropriate? Was Smith's response justified? The jury's still out and the internet can't seem to agree on the answers.