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Will Smith won his first Oscar at the 94th Academy Awards for his performance in King Richard in the Best Actor category. But unfortunately, Smith's win and acceptance speech are footnotes in a night that involved the actor confronting comedian Chris Rock on stage regarding a joke made at the expense of his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.
The altercation occurred when Rock appeared on stage to present the Best Documentary Feature category winner. Before reading off the Oscar nominees and eventual winner, Summer of Soul, Rock stayed true to form and rattled off several jokes to liven up the celebrity audience. First, Rock focused his attention on Oscar nominees Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz before shifting his comedy to Jada Pinkett-Smith, stating that he couldn't wait for the sequel to Demi Moore's G.I. Jane. Rock made the joke in reference to Jada Pinkett-Smith's shaved head, which didn't sit well with the stars husband. Smith appeared to be relishing in the joke until he stepped on stage and smacked Rock across the face during the telecast.
The moment stunned many in the audience and at home, believing the altercation between the two to be scripted until Smith's anger became incredibly evident. Upon returning to his seat, Smith yelled twice and explicitly told Rock to keep his wife's name out of his mouth. Rock continued with the Oscar presentation, but the moment became a distraction throughout the rest of the award ceremony. During the commercial break, Oscar nominee Denzel Washington got up to converse with Smith about the altercation, along with Smith's publicist, Meredith O. Sullivan. Smith later addressed the issue during his acceptance speech for King Richard and tearfully apologized to the Academy for his actions.
The joke delivered by Rock felt innocent on the surface, but with context, it's easy to comprehend the Smith's emotions. Jada Pinkett-Smith announced last year that her struggle with alopecia motivated her to shave her head in an attempt to deal with her medical condition. This moment, however, isn't the first time Rock has made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith and her husband while at the Academy Awards. The comedian hosted the ceremony in 2016 and made jokes about the couples decision to boycott the ceremony over the lack of diversity in the acting nominations. Rock stated that the Smiths "went mad" over the issue, along with other figures in Hollywood who decided not to attend. The storm between Rock and Smith has been brewing for years leading up to their altercation.
TMZ reported that Rock would not be filing a police report against Smith for the altercation, but the comedian could certainly change his mind. LAPD is aware of the incident and noted that Rock could file an investigative report later to address the situation. Smith could face assault and battery charges if Rock decides to proceed with charges, but for now, the Oscar-winning actor won't face any repercussions for his on-stage actions. The Academy later commented on the incident and denounced Smith's action, indicating that they do not condone violence of any form. The incident shifted the tone of the award ceremony, so it'll be interesting to see if an invitation is granted to Smith to attend in the future.
With his victory last night, Will Smith joined an exclusive list of Black men to walk away with the Best Actor award. Smith joined Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, and Forest Whitaker as the only Black men to win the coveted prize. But unfortunately, what should have been a moment of celebration turned into confusion and disappointment for many. Smith finally achieved the milestone of obtaining the elusive Academy Award, but a physical alteration will forever stain the memorable night.
Source: TMZ