Will Smithwas having fun posing for the camera before he went onstage and smackedChris Rockduring the 2022Academy Awards.
On Sunday evening, Rock, 57, joked to Smith’s wifeJada Pinkett Smithin the audience, “Jada, I love ya.G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see ya,” as he was introducing the Oscar for Best Documentary. Pinkett Smith, 50, hasbeen embracing a bald hairstyleas she lives with alopecia, which causes bald spots and hair loss.
TheRed Table Talkhost looked unimpressed and Smith, 53, initially laughed from his seat, but later took to the stage to smack Rock across the face.
In anInstagram postshared that same night,the Oscar winnerlater said that he chose “chaos” in the caption of a video of himself and Pinkett Smith having fun before a green backdrop in their red carpet best.
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“Me ‘n @jadapinkettsmith got all dressed up to choose chaos,” theKing Richardstar wrote, as they smiled and playfully posed together.
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“Keep my wife’s name out your f—ing mouth!” Smith then yelled up to the stage at Rock after taking his seat again. “Wow, dude, it was aG.I. Janejoke,” said Rock — to which Smith replied once again, “Keep my wife’s name out your f—ing mouth!”
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
“I’m going to, okay?” Rock responded, before going on to say, “That was the … greatest night in the history of television” and presenting the award.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences soon issued a statement on Twitter.
“The Academy does not condone violence of any form,” the organizationtweeted. “Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world,” it continued, shifting the focus to the newly mintedOscar winners.
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A source told PEOPLE that thetensionsbetween the Best Actor winner and Oscars presenter goes back several years, when Rock took aim at Pinkett Smith during his own hosting gig at the 2016 Academy Awards.
“When Chris hostedthe Oscarsin 2016, Jada was boycotting because of ‘Oscars So White.’ In his monologue, he made fun of her, saying she can’t boycott something she wasn’t invited to,” the insider explained. “Will was still mad about that.”
According toVariety, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement that Rock had not filed a police report against Smith in the wake of the altercation. The LAPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
“LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program,” authorities said Sunday, per the outlet. “The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.”
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Smith lateracknowledged the moment in his acceptance speechafter winning Best Actor for his performance asVenusandSerena Williams’ father Richard Williams inKing Richard, although he omitted Rock from his apology.
“I know to do what we do you gotta be able to take abuse; you gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business you gotta be able to have people disrespecting you, and you gotta smile and pretend like that’s okay.”
Smith also compared himself to hisKing Richardcharacter as a “fierce defender of his family.”
Will Smith.ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty
The actor then addressed the incident directly, offering an apology to the Academy and his fellow nominees for the incident — but failed to mention Rock.
“I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees,” he said.
Smith, who was previously nominated forAliandThe Pursuit of Happyness, then said, “Art imitates life: I look like the crazy father. Just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things.”
He later added, “Being able to love and care for my mother and my family, my wife … Thank you for this honor. Thank you for this moment. … I hope the Academy invites me back.”
source: people.com
