Will Packer, who produced the 2022 Oscars ceremony that aired Sunday, is speaking out following the fallout surrounding Will Smith slapping Chris Rock onstage. In a preview clip shared by ABC News ahead of Good Morning America’s interview with Packer that airs in full Friday, the producer said that the LAPD was ready to arrest Smith until Rock declined to press charges. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “They were saying, you know, ‘This is battery,’ was the word they use in that moment,” Packer said. “They said, ‘We will go get him; we are prepared. We’re prepared to get him right now. You can press charges. We can arrest him.’” He continued, “They were laying out the options, and as they were talking...
One of the producers behind Summer of Soul (… Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), awarded the best documentary feature Oscar immediately in the aftermath of Will Smith’s onstage attack on Chris Rock, took to social media Wednesday not only to criticize Smith for his actions, but also Rock for a joke he made about the team when they won. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Summer of Soul‘s director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and producers Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein had the unenviable task of walking to the stage to collect an award with the entire Dolby Theatre still reeling in shock from when Smith rushed the stage and assaulted Rock moments earlier. On Wednesday evening, Patel took to Twitter to give his side o...
Following the headline-making slap at the Oscars on Sunday night, Chris Rock has remained quiet about the incident between himself and Will Smith. But on Wednesday night (March 30), the comedian spoke out publicly for the first time during his stand-up show in Boston. “How was your weekend?” he asked the crowd, who began laughing, as reported by Variety. “I don’t have a bunch of sh– about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend. I’m still kind of processing what happened. So at some point, I’ll talk about that sh–. And it will be serious and funny.” The audience then broke into a chant, shouting “F— Will Smith,” which can be heard in the audio Variety posted on Instagram here. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest vid...
Wanda Sykes and Amy Schumer both say they are “traumatized” from watching Will Smith slap Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards. In an excerpt from an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show airing later this week, Sykes expressed her disappointment with the Academy for not escorting Smith out of the venue. “I just felt so awful for my friend Chris,” Sykes said. “And it was sickening, absolutely sickening. I physically felt ill, and I’m still a little traumatized by it… And for them to let him stay in that room and enjoy the rest of the show and accept his award, I was like, ‘How gross is this? This is just the wrong message.’” Advertisement Related Video Sykes continued: “We were the hosts, right? So this is our house, we’re inviting you in, we’re the hosts, we’re gonna take care of...
Chris Rock finally addressed Will Smith’s Oscars slap — but he didn’t have much to say. According to Variety, the comedian briefly spoke about the incident during his show in Boston on Wednesday night. “How was your weekend?” Rock began, reportedly drawing a standing ovation. “I don’t have a bunch of shit about what happened,” he said, “so if you came to hear that, I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend.” Advertisement Related Video “I’m still kind of processing what happened,” Rock continued. “So, at some point I’ll talk about that shit. And it will be serious and funny.” “I’m going to tell some jokes. It’s nice to just be out,” Rock added before launching into his set Prior to announcing the winner for documentary feature during Sunday’s Academy Awards, Rock cracked a joke ...
Will Smith was asked to leave Sunday’s Academy Awards after slapping Chris Rock, but he refused. The revelation came in a new statement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science’s Board of Governors, who met on Monday and voted to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith. “Mr. Smith’s actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television,” the statement reads. “Mr. Rock, we apologize to you for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience in that moment. We also apologize to our nominees, guests and viewers for what transpired during what should have been a celebratory event.” Advertisement Related Video “Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipate,” the statement continues. “While we woul...