As if the Hollywood gods knew we were overdue for a scandal on live television, all of the regular expected awkwardness at the 2022 Academy Awards was eclipsed by Will Smith slapping Chris Rock across the face for the entire world to see, after the latter made a joke at Jada Pinkett Smith‘s expense. But a little violence didn’t stop the Academy from giving Smith the Best Actor Award for his role in King Richard, where he plays Richard Williams, father and coach of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. “Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” Smith said during his speech, holding back tears — almost as if to give Rock an ever-so-subtle fuck you. But being two comedy legends of the ’90s, Rock and Smith’s relationship goes way back, as both friends and on-screen collaborato...
The Academy has launched a “formal review” of Will Smith’s conduct at last night’s Oscars. In a statement released on Monday, the organization “condemned the actions of Mr. Smith,” and will “explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.” During Sunday’s telecast, Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock after the comic cracked a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Advertisement Related Video The US broadcast quickly cut the sound, but the international feed captured the full interaction. Rock said, “Wow, Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me.” Smith returned to his seat, where he shouted out, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!” It appears Smith will face some sort of disciplinary action in response ...
Will Smith has issued a statement apologizing to Chris Rock for slapping him during Sunday night’s Oscars. “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” wrote Smith in a statement posted to Instagram on Monday evening. “Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.” Prior to announcing the winner for documentary feature, Rock cracked a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair, prompti...
HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE The Oscars might have been a bit too Black this year—and we’re not saying that’s a bad thing at all. Chris Rock was lobbing jokes while presenting an award, and after a jab at Jada Pinkett Smith and proceeded to walk on stage and slap fire out of the comedian. The audio went silent, but if you looked closely you could hear Rock mouth “Will Smith smacked the sh*t out of me.” When the camera panned to Smith, it looked like he said, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f*cking mouth.” While Twitter asked if it was a stunt or real (Will & Jada are always on these e-streets after all), international footage confirmed that no acting was involved. And while Twitter was reacting, and missing a great speech by Questlove for in the process, the question was, what if ...
After presenter Chris Rock joked that Jada Pinkett Smith looked like “G.I. Jane 2,” with her shaved head, Will Smith stormed the stage and slapped Rock across the face. Before Rock presented the award for documentary feature, he began by roasting members of the audience. But his crack about Pinkett Smith was deeply personal, hitting on her well-documented struggles with the autoimmune disorder alopecia, which can cause hair loss. The joke prompted her husband Smith to rush Rock and strike him. The US broadcast quickly cut the sound, but international broadcasts captured the full interaction. Rock said, “Wow, Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me.” Smith returned to his seat, where he hollered, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!” Advertisement Related Video “Wow,...
It was the slap seen around the world, and yet Will Smith will walk away from the 2022 Oscars with an Academy Award trophy and no criminal charges. According to the Los Angeles Police Department (via Variety), Chris Rock has declined to file a police report against Smith, despite being slapped on stage by the actor. Prior to announcing the winner for documentary feature, Rock cracked a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair, prompting her husband Smith to walk up to Rock and strike him with his open hand. Advertisement Related Video The US broadcast quickly cut the sound, but the international feed captured the full interaction. Rock said, “Wow, Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me.” Smith returned to his seat, where he hollered, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!” “Wow, d...
Boasting a career spanning multiple decades, Aunjanue Ellis is on the cusp of Oscar glory for her turn in the Will Smith-led King Richard, portraying Oracene “Brandy” Price, the mother of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. While King Richard primarily follows the life story of the sisters’ father, Richard, the film highlights the wide scope of Oracene Price’s work and the important role she held in making her daughters the greatest tennis players of all time. Ellis delivers a dynamic, moving, and multifaceted performance that transcends mere biopic impersonation; instead, it taps into something deeper and rawer. Ahead of the Oscars on Sunday, where King Richard is up for Best Picture, Best Actor (Smith), Best Supporting Actress (Ellis), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, a...