The reverberations from actor Will Smith‘s slap at the Oscars continue to vibrate around the globe and on the internet. The altercation — by most reports a real incident and not a staged one — occurred Sunday during the 94th Academy Awards broadcast when comedian Chris Rock, 57, made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, while presenting the award for Documentary Feature (won by Summer of Soul). Read more: Oscars 2022: Best and worst-dressed celebrities on the red carpet “Jada, I love you.
G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it, all right?” Rock joked, referencing the 1997 film G.I. Jane starring Demi Moore, who shaved her head to portray a fictional Navy Seal candidate.
Pinkett Smith, 50, who has publicly spoken about her struggles with alopecia, was visibly unimpressed by the joke. Read more: Halifax director Ben Proudfoot wins Oscar for ‘The Queen of Basketball’ Smith, 53, walked onto the stage from his front-row seat and took a swing at Rock with an open palm, generating a loud smack.
Smith walked back to his seat and shouted for Rock to leave Pinkett Smith alone. Rock replied that he was just making a G.I.