Chris Rock Breaks Silence on Will Smith Slapping Him at the Oscars
Chris Rock broke his silence about what happened between him and Will Smith at the Oscars. During a show in Boston at the Wilbur Theater on Wednesday, March 30, the comedian briefly addressed the incident and asked the audience, “How was your weekend?”
“I don’t have a bunch of s— about what happened,” he said Wednesday night. “I had like a whole show I wrote before this weekend. I’m kinda processing what happened. So at some point, I’ll talk about that s—.”
Rock was presenting the award for best documentary at the Oscars when Smith went on stage and slapped Rock after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair. Jada Pinkett Smith has said on social media that she has alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss.
Back at his seat, Smith shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—— mouth,” twice.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced “disciplinary proceedings” against Smith, revealing that the actor was asked to leave the Oscars after slapping Rock but refused to cooperate.
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“Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated,” the academy said. “While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
However, less than an hour after hitting Rock, Smith won and accepted the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father of tennis phenomenons Venus and Serena Williams, in the film King Richard.
Smith however has afterwards apologized to the Academy for his actions, but the Academy on Wednesday announced it would be taking disciplinary action against Smith “for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, including inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy.”
Ahead of Rock’s show on Wednesday, many lined up outside the theater to see his set. An attendant at the theater told ABC News that he has never seen the theater packed before in his entire life.
The theater also had strict rules and didn’t allow attendees to use their phones or take notes. Just as the show was about to begin, the crowd erupted into applause as the lights dimmed and Rock stepped out on stage.
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The crowd continued to cheer for the comedian, who appeared emotional, saying, “Y’all getting me all misty-eyed.”
More applause from the audience followed and some in the crowd followed with anti-Will Smith chants. Rock didn’t join, but his smile grew a little wider.
According to a poll of 1,319 people conducted on March 28 by the research firm YouGov, seven out of ten Americans feel Mr. Smith should be allowed to keep his award.
Mr. Smith’s membership in the Academy might be revoked as a result of the smack, according to the organization’s guidelines. The academy has the right to revoke its award, which would be a tremendously controversial action.
Mr. Smith is anticipating the release of his production company’s film “Emancipation,” in which he plays an escaped slave. Hollywood officials had been discussing the picture, and Mr. Smith’s performance in it, as prospective Oscar candidates for this time next year before the scandal.
Source: ABC News | WSJ
Abeeb Lekan Sodiq is a Managing Editor & Writer at theafricandream.net. He is as well a Graphics Designer and also known as Arakunrin Lekan.
