The Oscar Awards, presented on March 27, 2022, proved to be quite an interesting event with some unexpected turns early in the night. Everyone’s attention is on the interaction between Will Smith and Chris Rock, which ended in a verbal and physical argument that left celebrities with their jaws dropped.
Chris Rock, a well-known comedian, was going about his speech when he offended two particular people in the crowd, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, with his joke concerning Jada’s recent diagnosis of alopecia. His joke was in reference to G.I. Jane, which he repeated upon his physical interaction with Will Smith.
Upon hearing Rock’s Joke, Will Smith appeared to laugh slightly while his wife shook her head in disapproval. Smith, sensing her uneasiness, proceeded to switch his mood, becoming defensive over his wife (despite their rocky past and her cheating history).
Smith, outraged, screamed at Rock to remove Jada’s name from his mouth, all while keeping a straight face. Rock assured him that it was merely a joke, as a comedian does, but Smith had other plans.
Smith marched up onto the stage where Rock stood and paused for only a brief moment. Will Smith slapped Chris Rock across his face for the entire audience to see, leaving the audience in complete disbelief. Smith immediately returned to his seat in front of a shocked group of celebrities.
Although Smith has since apologized to Rock for his unruly behavior, it is unknown whether or not Smith’s Best Actor award will be revoked. However, this interaction has caused an uproar over how to handle the situation.