Will Smith, who slapped Chris Rock in the face for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s baldness at the Oscars, sent shockwaves around the world on Sunday.
The stunning moment came just after Rock took the stage to present the award for Best Documentary.
It all started when Rock, 57, pointed at Smith, 53, and his wife and quipped, “Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see it.’
At that point, the camera turned to Smith, who at first visibly laughed at the gag and even clapped his hands, a gesture that seemed to indicate he was seeing the funny side.
But as Smith laughed while seated, Pinkett Smith – who was open about her battle with hair loss and alopecia – visibly rolled her eyes and looked angry.
The slap: moment Will Smith stormed the stage at the 94th Academy Awards and attacked comedian Chris Rock, who had just made fun of his wife Jada Pinkett Smith
‘That was nice!’ Rock then said on stage, justifying his joke as mild.
However, in the seconds that the camera had cut away, Smith jumped out of his seat and stormed the stage as Rock was heard saying, “Uh-oh…”
It was then that the world saw King Richard star Smith – who went on to win a Best Actor Oscar – approached Rock and promptly slapped him in the face.
Looking good: When Chris Rock took the stage, Will Smith was seen smiling and in a happy mood
Pointed dig: Chris held out his hand to point at Will and Jada as he joked, “Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see it.’
Laughing: At this point, Will was seen laughing at the joke and didn’t seem offended
Stony face: However, Will’s wife Jada – who has been open about her hair loss and her battle with alopecia – started rolling her eyes
Not amused: Jada, 50, continued to roll her eyes but Will, 53, still laughed and even clapped his hands at the remark
“Wow,” Rock was heard saying after the attack. ‘Will Smith just kicked the shit out of me.’
In footage that was uncensored, Smith was heard saying, “Keep my wife’s name out of your damn mouth.”
Actress Lupita Nyong’o, seated next to Smith, was visibly confused by what had just happened, with some viewers wondering if it had been part of a pre-arranged skit.
Taking risks: Chris seemed happy with how the joke was received, telling the crowd it was a “beautiful” joke
Smile before the storm: Chris was seen laughing until he said “Uh-oh” to the crowd, suggesting trouble was afoot
Getting going: Will briskly jumped onto the stage and walked straight towards Chris
What the world saw: Will was clearly seen punching Chris and punching him in the face
“Wow,” Rock was heard saying after the attack. ‘Will Smith just kicked the shit out of me.’
But when Will made his foul-mouthed tirade, Nyong’o’s expression quickly turned serious.
The exchange was muted on a delayed television broadcast across much of the United States, but aired in full for some international viewers.
After being beaten, Rock appeared shocked and nervous as he attempted to continue presenting the best documentary category.
Aftermath: Smith was then seen returning to his seat
Shocked: Rock looked understandably shocked when Smith walked away
Back to his seat: Smith kept a poker face when he returned to his wife
Keep Calm and Carry On: Rock continued to present the award for Best Documentary
“It was the greatest night in television history,” said Rock, before awkwardly returning to the presentation of Best Documentary, which went to Questlove’s Summer of Soul (…or When the Revolution Was Not Televised).
Rapper Diddy was the next person on stage to acknowledge the fallout when he said, “Will Chris we’re going to work this out like a family at the gold party. For now we will carry on with love.’
Smith later opened his acceptance speech with an emotional defense of his attack on Rock for mocking Pinkett Smith’s short hair, who suffers from a condition that causes hair loss.
Another composure: Smith then looked visibly agitated while some of the onlookers (including Lupita Nyong’o) seemed confused by the scuffle
Shocked: Actress Lupita was seen visibly stunned as she began to understand the seriousness of the situation
In footage that was uncensored, Smith was heard saying, “Keep my wife’s name out of your damn mouth.”
Eyes ahead: Stars surrounding Smith began to realize that what they had just seen was real
“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” Smith said in his opening remarks. He continued, “I am called in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a flow for my people.”
Smith went on to apologize, partly through tears, for his emotional outburst, but did not apologize to Rock. “I want to apologize to the academy, I want to apologize to all my fellow candidates. It’s a beautiful moment,” he said.
“Art imitates life. I look like the crazy dad,” Smith said. “But love will make you do crazy things.”
“It was the greatest night in television history,” said Rock, before awkwardly returning to presenting Best Documentary
Shock: The comedian was understandably nervous about the attack
Late Sunday night, the LAPD issued a statement saying Rock had not filed a police report against Smith, but if he chose to do so, police would investigate.
“LAPD investigative authorities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program,” the statement said. “In the incident, one person hit another.”
It wasn’t immediately clear if the Academy would punish Smith in any way for his outburst.
After the incident: Will and Jada hold hands as his name is called for his Best Actor win
Emotional: Will started crying while discussing his role as King William and referring to his previous fight with Chris
“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” Smith said in his opening remarks. He continued, “I am called in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a flow for my people.”