At the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, Will Smith went on stage and hit Chris Rock in the face during Rock’s presentation for Best Documentary Feature. Smith’s actions were in response to a joke made by Rock about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who shaves her head due to alopecia areata. After the incident, Smith returned to his seat and shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out your f****** mouth!” at Rock, who briefly responded before finishing his presentation.
Later that evening, Smith won Best Actor and apologized to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and other nominees in his acceptance speech, but not to Rock. He subsequently issued an apology to Rock and the Academy via social media the following day. On April 1, Smith resigned from his Academy membership to avoid potential suspension or expulsion and was banned from attending Academy events for 10 years, effective April 8. The incident garnered global attention and largely overshadowed the remainder of the ceremony.
Background to the Will Smith and Chris Rock Incident at the 94th Academy Awards
On February 8, 2022, Will Smith was announced as a nominee for an Academy Award for his role in King Richard, and on March 3, 2022, Chris Rock was announced as one of the presenters for the 94th Academy Awards.
In 2018, Pinkett Smith revealed on her talk show Red Table Talk that she was experiencing hair loss, potentially due to stress, and was later diagnosed with alopecia areata. She began shaving her head completely in July 2021.
Following the ceremony, several publications brought up Chris Rock’s past comments regarding Jada Pinkett Smith. In a 1997 interview on his late-night talk show, The Chris Rock Show, Pinkett Smith appeared visibly upset by his jokes on black feminism, which included a comment on her participation in the Million Woman March. Rock had previously hosted the awards twice, including in 2016, which was boycotted by several actors, including Pinkett Smith, due to the lack of African-American nominees. In his opening monologue, Rock joked about her boycott and compared it to him boycotting Rihanna’s panties.
Will Smith’s apologies and attempts to make amends for the incident with Chris Rock
After receiving significant criticism for his actions at the 94th Academy Awards, Will Smith posted a formal apology on social media platforms Instagram and Facebook. In the apology, he expressed regret for his behavior, describing it as “unacceptable” and “inexcusable”. Smith directly addressed Chris Rock, stating “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong.” Smith went on to express his embarrassment and remorse, acknowledging that his actions were not indicative of the type of person he strives to be.
Following the incident, Rock made his first public comments about the matter during a comedy show, stating that he was still processing the situation and promised to discuss it more in the future. He also noted that he had not been contacted by Smith personally, nor had the two spoken since the ceremony. Claims on social media that Rock had issued an apology were debunked by fact-checkers
On July 29, 2022, Smith posted a YouTube video addressing the incident and offering apologies to several individuals, including Rock, Rock’s mother, Rock’s brother Tony, Questlove, the other Oscar winners, and his wife Jada. In the video, Smith expressed deep remorse for his actions, stating that he was “sorry and that it was “an unfortunate incident.”
Chris Rock Speaks Out About Will Smith’s Oscars Slap During Netflix Special “Selective Outrage”
Selective Outrage” is a Netflix stand-up comedy special by American comedian and actor Chris Rock. The show was filmed in 2021 and released on Netflix in 2022. The special was Rock’s first live stand-up show in over a decade and it deals with a variety of topics, including politics, race, and cancel culture. One of the most talked-about moments of the show was when Rock addressed the incident at the 2022 Academy Awards, where Will Smith slapped him on stage during Rock’s presentation for Best Documentary Feature. Rock spoke at length about the incident, saying that he was hurt by Smith’s actions and accusing Smith of practicing “selective outrage.”
During his Netflix special, “Selective Outrage,” comedian Chris Rock spoke about the 2022 Academy Awards incident where actor Will Smith had slapped him. Rock made it clear that the incident had hurt him, saying that people who claimed that words hurt had never been punched in the face. He accused Smith of practicing selective outrage and said that he had nothing to do with the alleged entanglements between Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Rock’s comments referred to Pinkett Smith’s admission of a relationship with singer August Aslina during an episode of her talk show, Red Table Talk, as the couple addressed their marriage, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Did Chris Rock Sue Will Smith?
There is no evidence to suggest that Chris Rock sued Will Smith in relation to the 2022 Oscars incident where Smith slapped Rock in response to a joke he made about Smith’s wife. While Rock did address the incident in his Netflix special “Selective Outrage”, he did not mention any legal action against Smith. In fact, in the same routine, Rock stated that he had nothing to do with the entanglements between Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, which likely refers to the widely publicized admission of marital infidelity by Jada Pinkett Smith during an episode of her talk show “Red Table Talk”.
Additionally, there have been no reports in reputable news sources or legal filings indicating that Chris Rock has taken legal action against Will Smith related to the Oscars incident. It is possible that any resolution between the two parties was handled privately and without the need for legal action.
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