There are already calls for the 53-year-old star to be removed from the award just hours after becoming the fifth black actor in Hollywood to receive the highest award for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father who raised tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams. , in “King Richard”.
In a bizarre acceptance speech, Smith admitted that “love makes you do crazy things” – but failed to apologize to Rock for his attack, apologizing only to the Academy and his candidates. Rock told the LAPD he would not prosecute.
About 40 minutes earlier, the comedian had made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith shaving her head. He said, “Jada, GI Jane 2, I look forward to seeing it.” Mrs. Smith has been battling hair loss since revealing her diagnosis of alopecia in 2018.
The 50-year-old actress rolled her eyes and her husband, who is considered a player for the Best Actor gong, appeared to be laughing with the muzzle. Then the smirking Chris Rock said “oh” seconds later as Will Smith suddenly stepped onto the stage and slapped him in the face with a loud bang. Then Rock started rubbing his cheek and said, “Wow, Will Smith just popped my s ** t.”
Most of the world’s biggest stars gathered last night at The Dolby Theater in Los Angeles – and millions of people around the world – initially thought it was a joke, still laughing at what had happened.
But Smith’s downfall continued when he returned to his seat as he screamed repeatedly, “Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth.” The crowd then fell into a surprising silence as it became clear that the attack was genuine. Chris Rock replied, “I’ll do it, okay?” before laughing uncomfortably saying, “This was the biggest night in the history of television.” Smith’s swearing was silenced by the directors because the live broadcast of the series is slightly delayed in the USA.
But it was fully transmitted to an international audience with the uncut clip already appearing more than a million times on social media and YouTube in the last few hours.
Any questions about whether the quarrel was true were answered when, just over half an hour later, Smith received the Best Actor award and apologized for the attack. The LAPD has since said that Mr Rock has refused to charge with assault – but will be happy to investigate if he decides to continue.
In his acceptance speech, a weeping Smith said, “Love makes you do crazy things,” as he held the Oscar for Best Actor.
At what should have been the highlight of his career, Smith accepted the award, saying: “You have to be able to accept the abuse and you have to be able to get people to talk crazy about you. In this business, you have to be able to have people who do not respect you and you have to smile and pretend to be okay.
“Denzel (Washington) told me a few minutes ago, he said, ‘At your highest moment, be careful.’ That is when the devil comes for you “.
It’s like I want to be a container for love. I want to say thank you to Aphrodite and Serena. I want to say thank you to Venus and Serena and the whole Williams family for trusting me with your story. This is what I want to do. I want to be an ambassador of this kind of love, care and concern.
And he continued: I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to all my candidates. Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, as they said. I look like the crazy father they used to say about Richard Williams. “But love will make you do crazy things.” He added: “I hope the Academy will invite me back. Thanks’.
Smith’s relationship with his wife was a joke during the awards season. At BAFTA in London a fortnight ago, host Rebel Wilson targeted the couple when he won the Starring Award for his role in King Richard. The audience at the Royal Albert Hall, which did not include the star who stayed in Los Angeles, groaned as he said that “his best performance last year was okay with all of his wife’s friends” – a nod to Smith and Jada Pinkett. -Smith’s open relationship.
This came after he recently admitted that his wife “never believed in a conventional marriage” and claimed that he was in a relationship. This may explain why she reacted so sensitively to Rock joke about her.
The slap in the face came after Rock joked about Pinkett Smith’s “GI Jane” haircut, referring to her shaved head. The shocking scene, which was broadcast live around the world, amazed both the live audience and the viewers.
After Smith came out on stage and appeared to hit Rock with his right hand open, Rock staggered and exclaimed, “Wow, Will Smith just hit my ass.”
Will Smith used his acceptance speech for his first Oscar to defend his invasion of the Oscars stage and slap presenter Chris Rock for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s wife’s haircut. Smith holds his first Academy Award for Best Actor during his speech
American actor Will Smith (R) sways to American actor Chris Rock during the 94th annual Academy Awards
Smith, visibly moved, returned to his seat in the audience and shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth.”
Smith appeared to be offending a gag that Rock made about Pinkett Smith’s short haircut (right). Pinkett Smith battled hair loss after revealing her diagnosis of alopecia in 2018 and rolled her eyes at Rock mockery
The full LAPD statement about Smith slapping Rock
“LAPD research entities are aware of an incident between two people during the Oscar program.
“The incident involved one person slapping another. The person involved refused to report to the police.
“If the party involved wishes for a police report at a later date, the LAPD will be available to complete an investigation report.”
According to BBC correspondent David Silito, reporters covering the awards ceremony were instructed by the press not to ask any of the attendees about Smith slapping Rock.
Late Sunday night, the LAPD issued a statement saying Rock had not filed a complaint with police against Smith, but that if he chose to, police would investigate.
“LAPD investigators are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Oscars program,” the statement said. “The incident involved one person slapping another.”
It was not immediately clear if the Academy would punish Smith in any way for his outburst.
The incident with the slap happened after Rock joked about the “GI Jane” haircut – referring to the character of Demi Moor who had a shaved head – by Pinkett Smith.
The shocking scene, which was broadcast live around the world, amazed both the live audience at the Dolby Theater and the viewers.
After Smith came on stage and hit Rock with his right hand open, Rock staggered and exclaimed, “Wow, Will Smith just hit my shit.”
Smith, visibly moved, returned to his seat in the audience and shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth.”
The incident that sparked it all was when Rock looked at Jada, who has a shaved head, and said, “Jada, I’m looking forward to GI Jane 2,” urging the actress to roll her eyes. Pinkett Smith has been battling hair loss since revealing her 2018 alopecia diagnosis.
After the slap, Rock appeared shocked and upset as he tried to continue presenting the category of best documentary.
“This was the most important night in the history of television,” Rock said, before returning puzzled to the presentation of the best documentary, which went to Questlove’s “Summer of Soul (… or When the Revolution Was Not Televisioned”.
Vanity Fair executive editor Ramin Setoodeh, who tweeted live from the ceremony, said someone working for the Oscars told him that Rock did not interrupt Smith at rehearsals yesterday.
“It should not have happened. “It was true,” he wrote.
After being slapped around the world, Smith was seen being comforted and comforted by Denzel Washington and actor-producer Tyler Perry.
Bradley Cooper also pulled Smith aside and was seen in close conversation with him.
Setoodeh, watching from inside the theater, said that Smith’s reporter approached him and spoke to him during a commercial break.
Accepting the award, Smith apologized for his outburst, saying: “I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to all my nominees. This is a beautiful moment ‘
American actor Denzel Washington and actor-producer Tyler Perry console Will Smith after the shocking TV slap. Smith later shared what Washington told him: “At your highest moment, be careful because then the devil comes to you.”
Bradley Cooper and the consoles Will Smith appears in public at the Oscars on Sunday after Smith hit Rock
American actor Will Smith (R) sits next to American actress Jada Pinkett Smith for Best Actor in a Leading Role for “King Richard” during the 94th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood
Smith, who plays the father of Venus and Serena Williams in “King Richard”, later on the show won his first Academy Award for Best Actor.
This meant that Smith returned to the stage shortly after one of the most infamous moments in the history of the Oscars.
Smith’s acceptance speech swayed between defense and apology.
“Richard Williams was a tough defender of his family,” Smith said in his first remarks. “In this moment of my life, in this moment, I am shocked by what God is calling me to do.”
He continued: “I am called in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river for my people.”
Blacksmith…
