A crazy moment spiced up the Academy Awards when comedian Chris Rock arrived on stage to present an award. Rock ran through several jokes while he was on stage, including one about Jada Pinkett Smith.
The “joke” about G.I. Jane 2, in reference to Jada’s bald head was questionable in taste and clearly upset Jada’s husband, Oscars winner Will Smith, who proceeded to leave his seat, walk up to the stage and slap Rock in what some may have thought was a staged bit.
However, the censors cut in shortly after that for about a minute, cutting out whatever Will Smith was yelling at Rock from the audience.
Will Smith reacts to Chris Rock’s Jada Pinkett-Smith joke
While onstage to help present part of this year’s Academy Awards, Chris Rock’s joke about Jada Pinkett Smith hit a nerve with her and her husband Will Smith. Rock joked about Pinkett-Smith being bald, suggesting she was appearing in an upcoming GI Jane 2 sequel.
Although some audience members laughed at Rock’s joke, Jada wasn’t laughing and rolled her eyes. Rock tried to recover, saying that was a “nice one.”
Soon after, Will Smith left his seat in the audience and walked up to the stage. From there, he proceeded to hit Rock in the face, before returning to his seat.
“Oh wow. Wow,” Rock said as Smith walked off. “Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me.”
From there, Smith had some choice words for Rock telling him “keep my wife’s name out your f****g mouth.”
While the event was censored during the live telecast, a Twitter user shared the uncensored incident below including Will Smith’s cursing at Rock.
Jada Pinkett Smith was diagnosed with alopecia
A report via NBC News earlier this year detailed Jada Pinkett Smith as she embraced the challenges of alopecia in 2018. The condition causes drastic hair loss, which is the reason Jada is bald.
The NBC News article highlighted that Jada Pinkett Smith is one of the notable women of color who have broken their silence about hair loss, and she’s attempting to uplift others with the condition.
In an Instagram video, she spoke about how she was managing by going completely bald.
That’s likely why Chris Rock’s joke didn’t sit well with Jada or her husband, as he took action during the Academy Awards, by smacking the comedian during the telecast.
Will Smith accepted Best Actor award after the incident
Making things more interesting, Will Smith won the Best Actor award for playing the role of Richard Williams in King Richard, whom Smith referred to as a “fierce defender of his family” in his acceptance speech.
“In this time in my life. In this moment. I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world. Making this film, I got to protect Angelou Ellis, who was one of the most strongest, most delicate people I’ve ever met. I got to protect the two actresses that played Venus and Serena. I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people,” a teary-eyed Smith said in his acceptance speech.
“I know to do what we do, you gotta be able to take abuse. You gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you gotta be able to have people disrespecting you and you gotta smile and pretend like that’s OK,” he said, choking back tears.
“In your highest moment be careful that’s when the devil comes for you,” Smith said Denzel Washington told him, adding, “I want to be a vessel for love.”
“I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I’m not crying for winning an award. It’s not about winning an award for me. It’s about being able to shine a light on [others].”
He praised the Williams sisters who were in attendance for the event and seemed emotional over his speech.
“Art imitates life I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams, but love will make you do crazy things,” Smith said in his speech.
Before closing his speech, Smith added he’s “hoping the Academy invites [him] back.”
A very ungentlemanly act. Just another hot head. I’ve gained a lot of respect for Chris Rock and I’m done with anything Will Smith.,