To say that things got a little awkward during the Academy Awards on Sunday night would be a bit of an understatement. Chris Rock came out and cracked a few jokes, but one of the jokes left Will Smith, nominated for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard (who would also later win), not feeling too happy about it. Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s short hair, saying that he can’t wait to see her in G.I. Jane 2.
For those of you who may not get the joke, Pinkett Smith has something called alopecia, a hair loss condition. While it initially seemed like Will Smith thought the joke was funny, Pinkett Smith was not amused, and moments later, Will Smith came up on stage and smacked Chris Rock right in the face.
You can see the exchange below:
WILL SMITH LE METIÓ UNA PIÑA EN VIVO A CHRIS ROCK POR BARDEAR A SU ESPOSA EN LOS #Oscars. pic.twitter.com/FIQcisdb6i
— David (@eldeibik) March 28, 2022
Segundos antes, Chris Rock dijo que esperaba la secuela de G.I. Joe con la esposa de Smith, en alusión a su pelo. pic.twitter.com/KZk3ML9Rcr
— David (@eldeibik) 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
MAYHEM BETWEEN CHRIS ROCK AND WILL SMITH AT THE #Oscars pic.twitter.com/265hGbsEDg
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 28, 2022
Many viewers in the United States were left confused by the exchange, as the sound was cut out and it seemed like a comedic gag. With the sound not being cut in other countries, you can clearly see that it wasn’t.
Will Smith was a solid favorite to win the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard coming into tonight, and slapping Chris Rock didn’t change that. You can see his acceptance speech below:
Here’s Will Smith’s tearful acceptance speech at the #Oscars. https://t.co/ulvT7fsB57 pic.twitter.com/Uq2krBbBld
— Variety (@Variety) March 28, 2022
It was definitely an unexpected moment at the 2022 Academy Awards.