Staying on brand, Fox News host Jeanine Pirro spoke about the infamous Will Smith slap at the Oscars, using coded racist language to criticize his behavior. During the broadcast, co-host Dana Perino asked Pirro about her perspective on the altercation, according to Business Insider Africa.
During the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday, Will Smith became enraged with a joke Chris Rock delivered about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith and went on stage to slap the comedian.
“I don’t think you march up on stage because a guy makes a joke of your wife, which honestly, I think is complimentary,” Pirro said, Business Insider Africa reports. “I think that the Oscars are not the hood, I think it’s not a bar.”
“She could do ‘GI Jane 2.’ Jada Smith’s got a fabulous body and she’s beautiful, as was Demi Moore in that film,” she said. “But aside from all that, in the middle of an event, where people are going to get awards in their chosen profession, and this guy takes it upon himself to disrupt the event, to go up onstage, to commit violence on stage, then come back and curse out so we can’t even put on television what he says because he feels slighted by a joke.”
As Blavity previously reported, after the confrontation, Will took his seat and yelled at Rock from the audience.
Rock tried to shake off the tense moment by joking that it was the “greatest night in the history of television.”
Later in the evening, Will won best actor for King Richard and tearfully gave an acceptance speech that Pirro disapproved of.
“Hollywood proves that they don’t have to follow the rules,” she said HuffPost reports. “If you’re on the right and you say something they don’t like, then they can respond with violence.”
Pirro continued with her rant, saying that even though Rock declined to press charges against the Oscar winner, the state of California should proceed to file charges.
“It is the people of the state of California versus Will Smith,” she said, the Daily Beast reports. She added that Will could have been escorted out of the ceremony in handcuffs and banished from attending future celebrations, according to HuffPost.
The conservative news host said that Will’s reaction sets a dangerous precedent. She joked that since the actor is not being held accountable for his actions, she should also be permitted to storm Saturday Night Live and “really go crazy over there,” Business Insider Africa reports.
The sketch comedy show often spoofs Pirro and bases its skits on her Fox News program, Justice With Judge Jeanine.
