"He could have killed him."
This year's
Oscars gave us what was probably the most bizarre moment in the show's entire history, when
Will Smith walked on stage to slap Chris Rock.
The unbelievable moment happened when
Rock poked fun at Jada Pinkett-Smith about her alopecia, saying that he couldn't wait to see her in G.I. Jane 2.
Attendees and viewers were, naturally, left in shock. While many sided with Smith, stating that he was right to defend his wife, others took the opportunity to condone violence of any kind.
Here's how the world has reacted.
https://twitter.com/DEADLINE/status/1508274887672143876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1508274887672143876%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.her.ie%2Fceleb%2Fwatch-will-smith-slaps-chris-rock-following-jada-pinkett-smith-joke-oscars-552037
Judd Apatow offered up a fairly controversial response to the incident, sparking backlash online.
In a now-deleted Tweet, the director wrote: "He [Smith] could have killed him. That’s pure out of control rage and violence.
“They’ve heard a million jokes about them in the last three decades. They are not freshman in the world of Hollywood and comedy. He lost his mind.”
Many people were quick to call Apatow out for his "overreaction".
"This is a wild thing to say Judd," on person responded. "As a fan, I urge you to really rethink this. It was not uncontrolled violence. The video is widely available so you know this."
Comedian Kathy Griffin also condemned Smith, writing: “Let me tell you something, it’s a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a comedian. Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters."
https://twitter.com/kathygriffin/status/1508280182146154500
Meanwhile, others agreed that Smith's actions were wrong, but so were Chris' words.
"Violence isn’t ok. Assault is never the answer," actress Sophia Bush wrote. "Also? This is the 2nd time that Chris has made fun of Jada on the #Oscars stage, and tonight he went after her alopecia. Punching down at someone’s auto-immune disease is wrong. Doing so on purpose is cruel. They both need a breather."
https://twitter.com/SophiaBush/status/1508284843574108173?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1508284843574108173%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffilm%2F2022%2Fmar%2F28%2Fwill-smith-slap-how-did-hollywood-celebrities-react
Actress Jameela Jamil also chimed in to defend Smith: ‘Will Smith said “Not Today”. A man big enough to absolutely floor him, slapped him softly enough that Chris barely moved, because he made fun of his wife’s alopecia on a world stage. Don’t say #protectBlackwomen for two years and then only condemn Will here. Come on…’
https://twitter.com/jameelajamil/status/1508349423197335554
Also hitting back at those attacking Smith, author Fredrick Joseph said: "Many takes on here about Will Smith and Chris Rock, especially from people whose partners are not Black women (mainly white people). I don’t care if it’s a joke or not, the amount Black women have to endure — people are tired of it. We have no idea what Jada has gone through.”
LA Police Department said it is aware of the incident but that no reports have been filed.
“LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program.
"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.”
