While headlining a stand-up show, Chris Rock made multiple references to Will Smith slapping him at the Oscars. Rock was presenting at this year's Academy Awards when he joked about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, starring in G.I. Jane 2 – a reference to her bald head. Although Smith appeared to be laughing after Rock's jab, he took the stage and hit the comedian before returning to his seat and shouting, "Keep my wife's name out of your f–ing mouth." Smith took home the award for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard later in the evening.
The day after the ceremony, Smith issued a public apology on Instagram and wrote that he was "embarrassed" and that the slap was "not indicative of the man I want to be." He later resigned from the Academy and will be prohibited from attending all Academy events, including the Oscars, for ten years. Pinkett broke her silence surrounding the incident on an episode of her Red Table Talk show, where she said the Smith family would focus on "deep healing."
According to Us Weekly, Rock addressed the slap during his set at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey. Referring to Smith as "Suge Smith," he joked, "Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face." In a later sketch about playing the victim, Rock said, "I'm not a victim, motherf–er." He added, "Yeah, that shit hurt. But I shook that shit off and went to work the next day. I don't go to the hospital for a papercut."
The media frenzy that continued for weeks following the slap was a level of publicity rarely seen by the Oscars, if ever. Looks of shock and disbelief from Andrew Garfield, Nicole Kidman, Lupita Nyong'o, and Serena Williams made it onto the live broadcast. Some attributed the bizarreness of the incident to a staged publicity stunt, while others cast it off as "rich people problems." Reactions from the public and Hollywood raged across social media as millions took sides in what became Rock versus Smith. There is now even a "Will Smith–Chris Rock slapping incident" page on Wikipedia.
Regardless of who was right, wrong, or if everyone needed to move on, it was frustrating to watch the other filmmakers being recognized have their achievements overshadowed by that moment. Even though those in attendance attempted to finish the night as normally as possible, the awkwardness that sat in the air as the Summer of Soul crew took the stage to accept Best Documentary Feature from Chris Rock – which directly followed the incident – was felt by attendees and viewers alike. Ironically, it leaves a movie fan hoping that next year's Oscars are a little less notable.
Source: Us Weekly