The Oscars at the Dolby Theater took a shocking turn as actor Will Smith appeared to slap Chris Rock over a joke made that referenced the hairstyle of his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
Best actor winner Will Smith smacked Oscars presenter Chris Rock in the face after taking offence to a joke made by the latter which referenced the hairstyle of his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, at the 94th Academy Awards.
Smith, who was nominated for best actor for “King Richard,” slapped Rock over a joke he made where he referenced the movie “G.I. Jane” in which actress Demi Moore had shaved her head.
After what appeared to be a scripted confrontation, the mood turned somber when Smith returned to his seat and shouted back: “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”
Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes your hair to come out, often in clumps. She publicly revealed her diagnosis in 2018.
Reports indicated that a visibly upset Smith had to be “pulled aside and comforted” by Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry during a commercial break, while Bradley Cooper could be seen comforting the “Men in Black” actor.
“Will and Chris, we’re going to solve that like family.
Right now we’re moving on with love,” said Sean “Diddy” Combs, as he presented the next section.
Up until the altercation between the two stars, the show had been running fairly smoothly. In major highlights, Ariana DeBose became the first Afro-Latina to win an Academy Award for supporting actress. Troy Kotsur became the first deaf actor to win an acting award.
-DW