But false news of the shocking controversy that rocked one of Hollywood’s biggest nights came later on social media, including a fabricated letter of apology to Rock and a misinterpreted celebrity reaction photo that became a meme on the Internet.
Here’s a closer look at the allegations that have spread widely on the internet.
——
CONFESSION: Rock publicly apologized for his joke about Jada Pinkett Smith shaved head, saying that “he went beyond what I should not have and paid the huge price of my reputation as a famous comedian.”
THE FACTS: The apology, which included several spelling mistakes, is false.  Rock did not apologize, a spokesman for the comedian told the Associated Press in an email Tuesday afternoon.
The fabricated apology to Rock garnered millions of views on social media platforms.
“As a comedian, it can be difficult to figure out which lines to cross and which not,” the fake statement read.  “Last night I overcame a limit and paid the huge price of my reputation as a famous comedian. Comedy is never about making fun of or making up for the words of people with great trials in their lives. Comedy is about using real conditions to create laughter and bring light to an otherwise dark world “.
The false statement continued with an immediate apology from Pinkett Smith, Smith and the rest of their family and an apology for forgiveness over time.
But Leslie Sloane, a Rock reporter, confirmed in an email that the apology was fake.  He did not answer a question about whether Rock planned to apologize.
Smith took the stage, slapped Rock and then returned to his seat, shouting twice at the comedian to “take my wife’s name out of your mouth.”  Smith reacted to a joke Rock made about Pinkett Smith shaving his head, saying he was looking forward to seeing “GI Jane 2”.  Pinkett Smith spoke publicly about her diagnosis of alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss.
Smith won Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams, Aphrodite and Serena’s father, in “King Richard.”  During his five-minute introductory speech, Smith spoke in defense of his family.  He also apologized to the academy.  On Monday, he apologized more strongly on Instagram and through his reporter, including an apology from Rock.
——
ACCOUNTING: A photo shows actress Nicole Kidman panting in response to Smith slapping Rock at the Oscars.
THE DETAILS: The photo was taken hours before Smith slapped Rock during the non-television portion of the awards ceremony.
According to the photographer who captured the image, Kidman was responding to the spectacle of Best Actress nominee Jessica Chastain, who later won the award.
The photo of Kidman sitting in the audience at the Oscars – with his hand outstretched and his mouth open – quickly spread on the internet shortly after the confrontation between Smith and Rock.
“The Slap was so strong that it made Nicole Kidman’s face move for the first time in 11 years,” a Twitter user wrote, sharing Kidman’s photo, which has become a popular meme.  “Nicole Kidman reacting to this slap (asterisk) we all do this morning on Twitter,” an Irish magazine wrote on Instagram.
But, according to the New York Magazine’s Vulture blog on Monday, the photo was actually taken during the non-television part of the ceremony, hours before the slap in the face.  He had appeared on Twitter as early as 7:34 p.m.  EDT.  The TV portion of the Oscars started at 8:00 p.m.  EDT.
“Nicole Kidman reacted when she saw candidate Jessica Chastain inside the Dolby Theater on Sunday night,” said a Los Angeles Times caption of the image, which was captured by LA Times photographer Myung Chun.  Chun confirmed in an email to the AP that his photo metadata shows that he took the picture at 7:19 p.m.  EDT, which was about three hours before the meeting between Smith and Rock.
“It seemed to me that Nicole Kidman was reacting when she saw Jessica Chastain across the hall during the non-television event,” she said, adding: “He reached out with both hands and shook her hands.  A little later, Chastain came.  to meet Kidman and her husband Keith Urban “.
Chastain won Best Actress for her role in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” in which she plays the rise, fall and redemption of TV evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker.
——
Associated Press writer Sophia Tulp in Atlanta contributed to this report.
This is part of the AP’s effort to tackle widespread misinformation, including working with outside companies and organizations to add real context to misleading content circulating on the Internet.