Just when you thought it was safe to tune out the Oscars, this year’s show had an unscripted moment that has caused ripples of controversy.
Moments before actor Will Smith was given the Academy Award for best actor March 27, he stalked onstage and smacked comedian Chris Rock in the face.
The New York Post reported that the incident could be enough to make Smith give back his award.
While presenting an award for the best documentary, Rock joked that Smith’s wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, was preparing for a role in “G.I. Jane 2,” an apparent reference to her shaved head. Pinkett Smith has said she has alopecia, a condition that leads to hair loss, according to The New York Times.
Smith got up, walked onto the stage, slapped Rock, then returned to his seat.
“Will Smith just slapped the s*** out of me,” the comedian said incredulously.
“Keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth!” Smith said from his seat.
Both comments were censored on the telecast.
Rock kept going, commenting, “That was the greatest night in the history of television.”
So here’s that Will Smith and Chris Rock moment in its entirety… judge for yourselves, guys. pic.twitter.com/mPNAixXIF9
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) March 28, 2022
Smith later accepted the award for best actor for his role in “King Richard” and apologized — but not to Rock.
“I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees,” he said.
Many wondered whether Smith would face a criminal charge for assault.
Why is Will Smith allowed to stay there? He should be escorted out. It was assault. He should be arrested . Even if he wins, he shouldn’t get to speak at all. Why are@the oscars condoning violence?
— Drip Droppin (@droppinl0ads) March 28, 2022
The Los Angeles Police Department, however, said Rock “declined to file a police report.”
“LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program,” the department said, according to Variety. “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.”
But the New York Post reported Smith could face a different kind of punishment.
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Citing “industry insiders,” the outlet reported the actor might have to return his Oscar “following his live onstage assault,” given that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences “has strict guidelines in its code of conduct.”
The Academy sent out a tweet condemning violence without naming names.
“The Academy does not condone violence of any form,” it said. “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 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
Many criticized Smith’s actions and the apparent lack of consequences.
The fact that Will Smith wasn’t kicked out of the Oscars and arrested for assaulting Chris Rock shows how Hollywood allows, enables, and celebrates the very worst behaviors.
Workplace violence isn’t tolerated in normal industries.
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) March 28, 2022
The conservatives defending Will Smith might want to take a second and think about the fact that they’re siding with woke leftists who believe that jokes are literally violence https://t.co/VsQgch6rCW
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) March 28, 2022
Pretty sure that any normal human being who walked on stage during an awards show and slapped a man in the face in front of thousands of people would be in handcuffs within 15 seconds of the assault
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) March 28, 2022
I love @chrisrock even more for keeping his cool. What Will Smith did is so wrong and MOST Americans would lose their job and be arrested for acting like that. #cancelwillsmith #BLM #assault
— charles david (@cdavid_20) March 28, 2022
“He could have killed him. That’s pure out of control rage and violence,” director Judd Apatow wrote in a since-deleted tweet, according to the Post. “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.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.