The 94th Academy Awards on Sunday started without a hitch, with a few controversial moments along the way. However, the moment that stunned the Academy and viewers was when Oscar-nominated actor Will Smith went on stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock.
The incident came after Rock delivered a poor joke about the King Richard actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia, a hair condition that causes baldness, NBC News reports.
Later in the evening, Smith won the Oscar for best actor for King Richard and apologized to the Academy and the other nominees.
“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” the actor said, holding back tears.
He continued his speech, saying that in the film, he protected Aunjanue Ellis, the actress that portrayed Oracene Price, Richard Williams’ wife. He also said he sheltered Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton, the young actresses who depicted Venus and Serena.
As the tears flowed down his face, Will acknowledged in his speech the level of scrutiny and ridicule that comes with being a public figure.
Prior to Will’s speech, Rock said that he was looking forward to seeing Jada in G.I. Jane 2, alluding to the actress’ shaven head. As the cameras caught the couple’s reaction, Will displayed a little chuckle while his wife rolled her eyes, according to HuffPost.
Within moments, Will approached the stage and slapped the comedian across the face during the broadcast.
“Wow, Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me,” Rock said.
Acknowledging Rock’s comment, Will replied: “Keep my wife’s name out your f**king mouth.”
“Wow, dude. It was a G.I. Jane joke,” Rock said.
Boiling over with rage, Will repeated himself.
“I’m going to, OK?” Rock answered.
Last July, Jada posted a picture of herself and her daughter, Willow, on her Instagram, and wrote about her decision to shave her hair off.
“Willow made me do it because it was time to let go BUT … my 50’s are bout to be Divinely lit with this shed,” she wrote.
Rock previously made jabs at Jada while hosting the 2016 Oscars. He mocked Jada’s protest of the award show after Will didn’t get nominated for his leading role in the sports drama Concussion, the Independent reports.
Co-host of this year’s Oscars, Regina Hall, also made a dig at the couple’s marriage, but they both seemed to laugh it off, the Independent reports.
The Oscars also posted a tweet expressing its disapproval of the display of violence during the award ceremony.
The Academy does not condone violence of any form.
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.
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 28, 2022
The Los Angeles Police Department released a statement on Sunday that it was notified of the incident between Will and Rock, but that the comedian declined to press charges.
“If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report,” the department said in a statement, according to Variety.