Will Smith has apologized after the Academy condemned the Oscars (Miang Chan/Los Angeles Times)
Consequences follow Actor Will Smith slapped his colleague Chris RockDuring the Oscars, Sunday, between the Academy’s condemnation and the mixed opinions of actors and followers, as well as Smith’s apology for his behavior, while Rock insists not to file a complaint.
Will Smith apologizes to Chris Rock for slapping him
Actor Will Smith apologized to his colleague Chris Rock on Monday via Instagram. He slapped him, Sunday night, during the Oscars; Because of a joke in which the comedian mocked the shaved head of Gida Pinkett Smith, the Hollywood actor’s wife with alopecia areata.
“Chris, I would like to publicly apologize to you,” Smith wrote on Instagram. “What you did crossed the line and was wrong. I feel ashamed, and what I did is not indicative of the man I want to be.”
And the Hollywood star stressed in his apology that “violence in all its forms is poisonous and destructive. What you did last night at the Oscars is unacceptable and unforgivable.”
Smith asserted that he fully understood that his job had to put up with jokes that made fun of him, “but a joke about Jeda’s health problem was something that went too far for me and I reacted emotionally to it.”
In his humor, Rock likened Smith’s wife’s short hair to Demi Moore’s clean-shaven head in GI Jane. It was noted that what Rock said was very upsetting Pinkett Smith, who has previously spoken out about her hair loss due to her alopecia.
Although Smith at first laughed in jest, he soon went up to the stage and slapped Rock hard in the face, the sound of the slap being heard in the microphones to the amazement of the audience in the hall and the spectators who watched the evening from their homes.
“Wow. Wow. Will Smith just slapped me,” said the shocked Rock. “It was a joke about GI Jane,” he added, justifying his joke.
But Smith, who had returned to sit down beside his wife, replied, “Let my wife’s name out of your damn mouth!”
Rock declined to press charges against Smith, who won Best Actor, after the incident, and did not apologize to Rock in his speech.
Will Smith posing with his first #Oscar with your family ????
????: Mark Seliger pic.twitter.com/RlJ9oCWNSy
— Tracklist (@tracklist) March 28, 2022
Oscar Academy denounces Smith’s slap
Smith’s apology came shortly after the “American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences”, the body that administers the Oscars, announced that it had opened an official investigation into the incident, which took place live on air and astounded the audience who were present in the hall and the viewers who watched the evening from their homes.
AndThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences denounced The Academy Awards on Monday slapped actor Will Smith slap host Chris Rock, and said it had begun an official review of the incident.
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 academy said, in a statement, Monday, that it “deplores Mr. Smith’s actions at last night’s party.”
“We have begun a formal review of the incident and will consider further actions and consequences in accordance with internal regulations, standards of conduct and California law,” she added.
But the Academy’s statement also met with controversy, as many published pictures of Oscar-winning actors, producers and directors, but they had a long history of violence, harassment and rape.
“The Academy does not condone violence of any form.” https://t.co/V2vMrBVNS5 pic.twitter.com/5hMelFMBtW
— tracy flick stan (@FlLMDORK) March 28, 2022
Celebrities’ reactions to Smith’s slap to Rock
The slap caused widespread controversy in Hollywood and around the world as well. Here are some reactions from celebrities on social media, as reported by “Archyde.com”:
Rapper and actor Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith and Jedda Pinkett Smith: “And that’s how we respond.”
And That’s How We Do It
— Jaden (@jaden) March 28, 2022
Actress Mia Farrow: “It was just a joke. Chris Rock makes jokes. That was a nice joke for him. And I love J.I. Jin.”
Comedian Kathy Griffin: “Let me tell you something. It’s very bad practice, to go 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.”
Actress Sophia Bush: “Violence is no good. Assault is never the answer. Also this is the second time Chris has made fun of Jada on the Oscars stage, and tonight he talked about her alopecia. Making fun of someone’s immune disease is wrong. Doing With that on purpose, it’s tough. They both need a break.”
For people asking if her alopecia is public knowledge? Yes. She 1st spoke about it in 2018. She’s been open about it since & the Smiths/Rock have a long-overlapping circle.
Hitting him was not okay. AND his “joke” was cruel & personal. All of it, awful. https://t.co/Y7P4v6UyCy
— Sophia Bush (@SophiaBush) March 28, 2022
Talk show host Conan O’Brien: “I just saw Will Smith’s slap. Can I borrow a play for the night just for tomorrow?”
Director Rob Reiner: “Will Smith owes Chris Rock an apology. There’s no excuse for what he did. He’s lucky that Chris didn’t charge him with assault.”
Will Smith owes Chris Rock a huge apology. There is no excuse for what he did. He’s lucky Chris is not filing assault charges. The excuses he made tonight were bullshit.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) March 28, 2022
– Author Bernardine Evaristo: “What a hard thing to wake up to. The fifth black man to win an Oscar in nearly 100 years, and the first in 16 years, resorts to violence rather than using the power of words to respond forcefully to Chris Rock. Then he claims that God And love made him do it.”
Actress and model Jodi Turner-Smith: As far as ‘this incident’ goes…I’m still trying to understand. I feel embarrassed for everyone involved.”
Actor Carrie Elwes: “The love boats I have known or admired have never acted violently against another human being…”.
An offer of thirty million dollars for a boxing match
Boxing organizer Jake Paul has offered Will Smith and Chris Rock $15 million each to get into the ring and settle their differences, after Smith slapped Rock at the Oscars on Sunday, Archyde.com reported.
“I’ve got $15 million for Will Smith and $15 million for Chris Rock,” Paul, who runs Most Valayabol Promotions, said on Twitter. “Let’s do it in August,” he added.
I got $15m for Will Smith and $15m for Chris Rock ready to go
Let’s do it in August on my undercard https://t.co/jBYIpHOTk2
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) March 28, 2022
Celebrity boxing matches have been popular in recent years and have contributed to the emergence of the likes of Paul and his brother Logan, who achieved fame on the Internet before switching to boxing.