As the 94th Academy Awards drew to a close, one of the biggest surprises rocked the night: an intense exchange after Will Smith confronted Chris Rock onstage after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair . Just minutes later, Smith won his first Best Actor Oscar for his role in King Richard.
Rock joked that he was looking forward to a GI Jane sequel starring Pinkett Smith, which would have Will Smith take to the stage and smack Rock.
After returning to his seat, Smith shouted at Rock to “keep my wife’s name out of your damn mouth.” The exchange came as a surprise to many in the audience as actress Lupita Nyong’o, who was seated near Smith and seen on camera, looked completely shocked. ABC muted the audio of the exchange due to the profanity, initially leaving viewers at home confused as to what happened.
Will Smith smacks Chris Rock onto the stage during the show at the 94th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theater on Sunday March 27, 2022. Myung Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The Los Angeles Police Department issued a statement after the show ended, saying they were “aware of the incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program.” According to the LAPD, Rock declined to file a police report. “If the party involved desires a police report at a later date, the LAPD is available to prepare an investigative report,” police said.
The Academy Awards tweeted early Monday that it “does not condone any form of violence. Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Oscar winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and film lovers around the world.”
Pinkett Smith has publicly discussed her hair loss due to the autoimmune disease alopecia. In 2018, Pinkett Smith opened up during an episode of her show, Red Table Talk, saying, “It was terrifying when it started. I was in the shower one day and I only had a handful of hair in my hands and I was like, ‘Oh my god, am I going bald?'”
Without directly mentioning the earlier confrontation, Will Smith later apologized to the Academy and his other Best Actor nominees while accepting the award. He said Richard Williams, who he portrays in King Richard, is a “fierce defender of his family.”
Here’s the moment Chris Rock made a GI Jane 2 joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, prompting Will Smith to hit him and yell, “Keep my wife’s name out of your friggin’ mouth.” #Oscar pic.twitter.com/kHTZXI6kuL
— Variety (@variety) March 28, 2022
“I want to apologize to the Academy,” Smith said. “I would like to apologize to all the other nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I’m not crying because I won an award. It’s not about winning an award for me. It’s about being able to shed a light on everyone. Tim and Trevor and Zack and Saniya and Demi and Aunjanue and the entire cast and crew of King Richard, Venus and Serena, the entire Williams family. Art mimics life. I look like the crazy dad, just like her have said about Richard Williams.”
‘s Scott Feinberg tweeted footage of Smith being pulled aside and comforted by Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry during the commercial break, right after Smith hit Rock. Smith finally went to his seat and seemed to wipe tears from his eyes.
During the commercial break, Will Smith is pulled aside and comforted by Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry, who ask him to shake it off. Will appears to be wiping tears from his eyes as he sits back down with Jada while Denzel comforts Jada and Will’s representative at his side. pic.twitter.com/uDGVnWrSS2
— Scott Feinberg (@ScottFeinberg) March 28, 2022
Jaden Smith, son of Smith and Pinkett Smith, tweeted after the show “And so we do it.” It’s unclear if he was referring to the slap, his father’s win for best actor, or both.
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