Will Smith Slaps Chris Rock at the Oscars Over Joke About Jada Pinkett Smith

A shocking incident happened at the 2022 Oscars Sunday night when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. While Rock was on stage to present the Oscar for documentary feature, he joked about Pinkett Smith’s hair. “Jada, I love ya. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it,” the comedian said, referencing Jada’s shaved head, a hairdo she has been sporting in recent years amid her struggle with alopecia. The actress has been open about the autoimmune disorder, which causes hair loss and bald spots.

After initially laughing at the joke, Smith actually walked on stage and slapped Rock’s face before going back to his seat. When Smith sat back down, he screamed at Rock, “KEEP MY WIFE’S NAME OUT OF YOUR F—ING MOUTH.” The audience, who likely weren’t sure if the incident was a planned bit or real, went completely silent. Rock went on to present the award but was visibly shaken.

Of course, social media had a lot to say about the tense moment. “Wait his dialogue scripted & written by writers so Rock was just reading the dialogue!” one fan said. “Im so confused. Thats assault man & I have def just lost all respect for Will Smith if this was real. He may be defending Jada but who does that?” More people were wondering if it was real or fake. One person said, “Can we get [BET] awards after party host to the [OSCARS] immediately for post [OSCARS]? Live interviews about the [Will Smith] and [Chris Rock] exchange! Was it real or fake and [Chris Rock] has the strongest jaw I’ve seen in awhile if this was real. I need interviews forget the [Oscars]. 

During the next commercial break, Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry pulled Smith aside to talk to him. Smith and Washington walked around from their seats together. Washington was then seen with Pinkett Smith kneeling next to her during the show. 

Smith and Pinkett Smith have been married since 1997 and have two kids together — Jaden and Willow. In December, Pinkett Smith opened up about having alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes bald spots and hair loss. In an Instagram video, Pinkett Smith said, “Now at this point, I can only laugh” as she ran a finger across the patch on her head. She went on to say the hair loss has been  “a little bit more difficult for me to hide. So I thought I’d just share it so y’all are not asking any questions.”

Hours after the broadcast ended, the Academy released a statement on Twitter saying it “does not condone violence.” Will and Jada’s 23-year-old son, Jaden, took to Twitter to react to the moment, writing, “And That’s How We Do It.” In another tweet that has since been deleted, he wrote, “My Dads Speech Made Me Cry.” The LAPD also released a statement about the incident, confirming that Rock did not file a police report.