H4> CINEMA NEWS – Will Smith was outraged that Chris Rock was joking with his wife, so the King Richard actor also physically attacked the comedian on stage. He then won an Oscar.

 

Things turned out a little awkwardly and tensely during Sunday night’s Oscar ceremony. On stage, comedian Chris Rock was about to present an award when he noticed Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, watching the crowd. Referring to Jada’s short hairstyle, Rock told the actress, “Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, I can’t wait to see you.”

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

The joke made things very embarrassing very quickly as Jada was visibly embarrassed. The actress has spoken openly in the past about struggling with alopecia, a hair loss due to an autoimmune disease. Moments later, as Rock prepared to continue his speech, Smith could be seen walking straight toward the stage. The actor, nominated for Best Actor, threw his hand back and slapped Rock hard enough to pick up the comic’s microphone. The sound was then muted on the U.S. broadcast, but Smith was visible as he shouted something at Rock.

Uncensored recordings of the incident spread on social media and revealed the audio recording. After the slap, Rock seems to have collected himself quite well as he remarked to himself:

“Wow. Will Smith just slapped me out of it.”

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

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) March 28, 2022

The visibly heated Smith, after taking a seat, then shouts at Rock twice:

“Keep my wife’s name away from your fucking mouth!”

 

“I’ll do it, okay” – Rock cuts back and lets the moment’s surreality immerse him in it.

“It was … the best night in the history of television.”

It should have been a wonderful evening for Will Smith, as he was one of the favorites at the Oscars to win the Best Actor award for his role in the biography of King Richard. Other nominees for the award included Javier Bardem (as Ricardo); Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog); Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick … Boom!); and Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth). Luckily for Smith, he became the winner, which tossed up his evening a bit after the quarrel with Chris Rock.

In his speech of thanks, Smith became sensitive when he spoke of Richard Williams, King Richard, the father and coach of tennis legend Venus and Serena Williams. The actor said he feels that in life he is destined to love people and protect them. Smith also thanked the Williams family for entrusting him with taking on this story in the hit film. However, before he left the stage, Smith apologized to the Academy as well as his candidates, perhaps referring to a previous clash with Rock.

“Love makes you crazy,” Smith said, noting that he hoped “the Academy would call him back.”

If you want to watch Smith and his Oscar-winning portrayal in Richard King, you can now stream the acclaimed film on HBO Max, or read our critique of the film here.