The organization behind the Oscars is speaking out after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars Sunday night. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released a statement on Twitter hours after the viral incident saying it “does not condone violence in any form” and that it was “delighted to celebrate” the night’s winners, “who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.” Oscars producer Will Packer also tweeted, writing, “Welp… I said it wouldn’t be boring.”
Many Twitter users called out the Academy for the tweet, saying that it was hypocritical to celebrate Smith’s win for Best Actor moments after he slapped Rock, with no visible signs of any repercussions for his behavior. Comedian Rosie O’Donnell replied to the Academy’s tweet, “Then why did you do NOTHING?”
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The moment came just after Rock, who was presenting an award, made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. “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.
Moments after first laughing at the joke, Smith walked on stage and slapped Rock in the face with an open hand. Smith promptly turned, walked off stage and shouted at Rock from his seat. “Leave my wife’s name out of your f—ing mouth,” he said once, before repeating it louder. The moment was muted on the American broadcast but went out uncensored in other countries.
A clearly shocked Rock moved on from the moment to present the award for documentary feature, but the room remained tense for the rest of the ceremony and broadcast. Making matters even more awkward was when Smith won Best Actor just minutes later for his role in King Richard. He took a moment to apologize to the Academy but did not mention Rock by name. “I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees,” he said, visibly crying. “Art imitates life, I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams. Love will make you do crazy things… Thank you to the Academy, I hope you will have me back.”
“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” Smith noted. “In this time in my life, in this moment I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world. Making this film, I got to protect Aunjanue Ellis who is one the most strongest, most delicate people I’ve ever met. I got to protect Saniyya [Sidney] and Demi [Singleton], the two actresses that play Venus and Serena…I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people.” Concluding the speech, Smith said he wanted to “be a vessel of love.”
Neither Smith nor Rock have spoken publicly about the incident since. With many viewers wondering if it was staged, Variety executive editor Ramin Setoodeh tweeted, “Someone who works for the Oscars told me that Chris Rock was not interrupted by Will Smith at rehearsals yesterday. It was not supposed to happen. It was real.”
