Will Smith slapping Chris Rock is a one-of-a-kind incident that is very rare and doesn’t fade away from the eyes and memories of the media. It has been more than a year since the incident took place, but even now, many around the world are curious to know about it.

Before going deep into finding out the reasons behind Will Smith’s slapping Chris Rock, let us check the details on where and when it took place.

When did Will Smith slap Chris Rock?

It happened during the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, at the iconic Dolby Theatre in California. It was all going well at the event until actor Will Smith came on stage. The Men in Black actor ramped up and hit comedian Chris Rock in the face with an open hand.

All this happened during Rock’s announcement of the Best Documentary Feature winner. After the incident, Smith returned to his seat and used strong language to express his anger towards Rock. Rock briefly responded but continued with his presentation without further interruptions.

The act of Chris continuing his announcement even after getting shocked by what happened was praised by a lot of fans.

The act of Chris continuing his announcement even after getting shocked by what happened was praised by a lot of fans.

During live TV broadcasts in the United States, the incident was mostly quieted down because of government rules that restrict what can be shown on television. However, unedited video from other countries was widely shared on social media. 

A short clip from the Australian broadcast quickly became one of the most-watched online videos in the first day. This situation got a lot of attention from people all around the world and ended up being the main focus instead of the rest of the awards show.

Incident Description and Why Smith Slapped Chris

At the 94th Academy Awards, Chris Rock, the presenter, announced the nominees for Best Documentary Feature and started with a scripted monologue displayed on a teleprompter. During his monologue, he made a joke about Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz, a married couple with previous Oscar wins who were both nominated that night. Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, were sitting in the audience, close to the front.

Then, Rock made a comment about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, comparing her look to Demi Moore’s appearance in the 1997 film “G.I. Jane.” He humorously mentioned a potential sequel, saying, “G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it, all right?” The audience, including Will Smith, laughed, but Jada Pinkett Smith seemed annoyed and rolled her eyes.

As Rock was about to continue his speech, he saw Will Smith approaching him on stage. Playfully, he referred to Smith as “Richard,” alluding to Smith’s role as King Richard in a movie. Rock started laughing, but out of the blue, Smith walked up to him, slapped him on the face with an open hand, and then returned to his seat.

This sudden and unexpected attack surprised the audience. Some people initially thought it was all part of the show, a scripted comedic moment. But it became clear that this was not planned when Smith shouted at Rock from his seat, demanding that he keep his wife’s name out of his jokes.

The situation left everyone in the audience and even journalists bewildered, realizing that Smith’s reaction was genuine. Even actor Kevin Costner, who was waiting offstage to present an award, confirmed that it was real. The audience waited for some official response or intervention, and some even stood on the mezzanine level to see what was happening below. However, the show proceeded without addressing the incident further.

Smith’s use of strong language was censored during the live broadcast in many countries. The whole exchange created quite a stir during the Oscars, leaving people both surprised and amused by the unexpected turn of events.

Both Smith and Rock made jokes about the incident in subsequent public appearances. Smith eventually issued a formal apology on Instagram and Facebook, acknowledging that his behavior was “unacceptable” and “inexcusable.” He publicly apologized to Chris Rock, expressing embarrassment and a desire for a world free of violence.

Conclusion

Rock briefly mentioned the incident at a comedy show, revealing that he was still processing it and promised to discuss it in the future. Smith also posted a YouTube video, where he expressed deep remorse and apologized to several individuals, including Chris Rock and Rock’s family. However, it was noted that Rock and Smith had not personally communicated since the incident.

The incident, though shocking, provided a backdrop for lessons in accountability, apologies, and the entertainment industry’s response to such unforeseen events.

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