Oscars: Will Smith Smacks Chris Rock Onstage, Yells Profanities in Shocking Outburst
Leave it to the Oscars to stir up some trouble between Chris Rock and Will Smith.
During the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, presenter Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith being in “G.I. Jane 2” because of her short hair. Pinkett Smith has previously been vocal about having a hair-loss condition.
Her husband Will Smith’s response to Rock’s joke while presenting the Best Documentary Oscar to “Summer of Soul” proved to be unscripted. The telecast cut out the audio feed in the U.S. broadcast.
However, the Australian broadcast aired the whole, unedited sequence live. According to a leaked clip of the ceremony, Smith stormed onstage and smacked Rock in the face, with an audible thump.
“Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me,” Rock says while smiling.
Smith, meanwhile, yells from his seat, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”
Rock responds, “Wow dude, it was a ‘G.I. Jane’ joke.”
Actors and journalists took to Twitter to post their disbelief at the altercation. Minnie Driver tweeted, “What. Was THAT?” Barry Jenkins similarly wrote, “WHAT???”
Watch the clip below.
The Will Smith moment. #oscars pic.twitter.com/D6e1gaTALR
— erickohn (@erickohn) March 28, 2022
Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith being in "G.I. Jane" because of her bald head. She's spoken openly about having a hair loss condition. Will Smith ran on stage, slapped Rock, then screamed twice at the top of his lungs "KEEP MY WIFE'S NAME OUT OF YOUR F-NG MOUTH."
— Amy Kaufman (@AmyKinLA) March 28, 2022
UNCENSORED WILL SMITH FOOTAGE AS SHOWN ON AUSTRALIAN TV pic.twitter.com/NcRfdjWxqe
— David Mack (@davidmackau) March 28, 2022
