Celebrities took to social media last night to react to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 94th annual Academy Awards after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Rock joked about Jada doing a sequel to the 1997 film G.I. Jane. Pinkett-Smith has been open about her struggle with alopecia.
As a result of the joke, Smith walked up to the stage and slapped Rock. A stunned Rock said, “Will Smith just smacked the sh*t out of me.” Smith replied, “Keep my wife’s name out your fu**in’ mouth!” Rock responded, “Wow, dude. It was a G.I. Jane joke.” Smith responded “Keep my wife’s name out your fu**in’ mouth.”
Smith later went on to win his first Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams in King Richard. He apologized for the slap during his speech.
The Academy later released a statement on the incident, saying, “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.”
CELEBRITIES REACT
Smith's son Jaden responded to the moment, saying, “And That’s How We Do It.” 50 Cent chimed in, saying, “chris back stage like f**k Will he snuck me, tell him i said come catch this fade. LOL .”
Maria Shriver wrote, “We should never get to a place where we sit and watch a movie star hit someone on global television then, moments later, get a standing ovation while talking about love. #WillSmith #Oscars.”
Trevor Noah tweeted, “Wtaf????? That wasn't scripted?????” Natasha Rothwell wrote, “Never thought the La La land debacle would ever be eclipsed but here we are.
CHRIS ROCK WON'T PRESS CHARGES AGAINST WILL SMITH
Meanwhile, according to The LAPD, Chris Rock has “declined to file a police report” for the incident. According to Variety, the LAPD said in a statement, “LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program. 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.”
