Will Smith Slaps Chris Rock at the Oscars; The Internet Reacts

Will Smith secured a Best Actor trophy at Sunday night’s Academy Awards – but it was his other onstage moment that everyone is talking about.

Presenting Best Documentary, comedian Chris Rock teased married nominees Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz before setting his sights on Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. He made a joke about Pinkett Smith (who suffers from alopecia and was sporting a shaved head) starring in G.I. Jane 2. Though Smith was initially seen laughing at the joke, he abruptly strode onstage and slapped Rock.

“Wow. Wow. Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me,” said a visibly stunned Rock.

“Keep my wife’s name out of your f**king mouth,” Smith could be heard shouting back.

“Wow, dude. It was a G.I. Jane joke,” Rock responded, and Smith repeated the warning.

The sound was cut on the ABC feed, but other countries ran the segment unedited.

Here's the moment Chris Rock made a "G.I. Jane 2" joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, prompting Will Smith to punch him and yell, "Leave my wife’s name out of your f--king mouth." #Oscars pic.twitter.com/kHTZXI6kuL

— Variety (@Variety) March 28, 2022

VIA JAPANESE TELEVISION: The uncensored exchange between Will Smith and Chris Rock pic.twitter.com/j0Z184ZyXa

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) March 28, 2022

Behind the scenes footage showed Denzel Washington, Tyler Perry and Bradley Cooper comforting Smith during the commercial break immediately after the incident.

During the commercial break, Will Smith is pulled aside and comforted by Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry, who motion for him to brush it off. Will appears to wipe tears from his eyes as he sits back down with Jada, with Denzel comforting Jada and Will’s rep by his side. pic.twitter.com/uDGVnWrSS2

— Scott Feinberg (@ScottFeinberg) March 28, 2022

Moments later, Smith took the stage again to accept the Best Actor award for his performance as Serena and Venus Williams’ father in King Richard. Visibly emotional, Smith addressed the incident in his speech, saying, “Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams.”

He added, “I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people. I know to do what we do, you got to be able to take abuse. You got to be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business you got to be able to have people disrespecting you. And you got to smile and you got to pretend like that’s okay.”

Smith apologized to the Academy, but did not address Rock. He said, “I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I’m not crying for winning an award. It’s not about winning an award for me. It’s about being able to shine a light on all of the people.”

Before leaving the stage, Smith added, "Thank you. I hope the Academy invites me back."

Here's Will Smith's tearful acceptance speech at the #Oscars. https://t.co/ulvT7fsB57 pic.twitter.com/Uq2krBbBld

— Variety (@Variety) March 28, 2022

The reaction on Twitter was immediate, with many viewers commenting that Rock’s joke was in poor taste, while also shocked by Smith’s response.

Will Smith hits Chris Rock as Rock spoke on stage during the 94th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. REUTERS Photo by Brian Snyder ⁦@brian_photog⁩ pic.twitter.com/ZpsHalrX8g

— Jim Bourg (@jimbourg) March 28, 2022

Because you don't assault people for something they say. no matter how much you might want to. Especially when your reaction will ruin the most important moment in other filmmakers' lives. https://t.co/TrtnhrQ0nM

— Eric Deggans at NPR (@Deggans) March 28, 2022

I love Chris Rock. I don’t think he would’ve made that joke had he known what Jada recently shared- but between him & the whole team @ the #Oscars you mean to tell me not ONE of y’all heard this woman just share this heartbreaking story? #ComeOnSon … (continue to next tweet)

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) March 28, 2022

Maybe the joke and the slap were... both bad?

— Kwame Opam (@kwameopam) March 28, 2022

I think you can recognize that this is all entirely his own doing and also find it incredibly sad.

— Linda Holmes (@lindaholmes) March 28, 2022

I just think we really need to be more careful with each other.

We handle each other so violently…verbally, physically, psychologically.

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) March 28, 2022

people are going to have so much to say about all that — which will no doubt be exhausting — but watching will smith process and apologize in real time was … astounding. my heart is still pounding #oscars

— Kathleen Newman-Bremang (@KathleenNB) March 28, 2022

Assault is wrong.

Alopecia is a painful experience that many Black women go through and should not be joked about.

The concept of being ‘the protector’ can be a form of toxic masculinity.

Black women are rarely protected and deserve to be protected.

— Amanda Parris (@amanda_parris) March 28, 2022

Jane Campion wins Best Director for THE POWER OF THE DOG, a film that doesn't speak to toxic masculinity as effectively as the fact that Will Smith is still in the audience after punching Chris Rock in the fucking face #Oscars

— Norm Wilner (@normwilner) March 28, 2022

Will Smith is not the one nor the Oscars the place

But folks been making jokes and digs and and snide oversights at Black women

At expect everyone to eat it…

and again not everybody thinks that’s funny .. or funny after all this time

— 🗽Sydette Cosmic Dreaded Gorgon 🇬🇾 (@Blackamazon) March 28, 2022

I’m tripping that you can assault someone on live television on stage at the Oscars and just take your seat and watch the rest of the show.

— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) March 28, 2022

Imagine if Will had controlled himself, won, which he was obviously going to do, and, during his acceotabce speech, worked in a graceful compliment to his wife and her glorious crown.

Then, only Chris looks like a massive asshole!

— A Shady Dame From Seville (@SorayaMcDonald) March 28, 2022

Will Smith has trained in boxing, karate, and hand to hand combat for many movies over his long career. He has a significant weight and height advantage on Rock. He is fit and connected that slap with form.

If he wanted to seriously injure that lil man, he would have. Stop it.

— dr. jenn m. jackson (@JennMJacksonPhD) March 28, 2022

Physical violence is never the answer. Will Smith was wrong. Some jokes are evil. Chris Rock was wrong. They both can be wrong.

— Scott Dworkin (@funder) March 28, 2022

While it's no excuse for violence: We do need to have a serious conversation about how jokes about alopecia (what Will Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith has) and people’s medical conditions, are not fair. This nonsense needs to stop. It’s actually quite gross. #Oscars

— Naheed Dosani (@NaheedD) March 28, 2022