Harry Fletcher
Mar 30, 2022
ABC
Which film won Best Picture? Who won the best actor and actress awards? At this point, no-one really knows or cares – there’s only one thing people will remember from this year’s Oscars.
Will Smith walked onto the stage before swinging his fist or palm at Chris Rock in one of the ‘ugliest moments’ in the history of the awards last night.
The feed from the the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles was then pulled for millions around the world, but viewers in Australia and Japan got a far clearer picture of events - and the unedited footage of the baffling incident has since been shared on social media.
A visibly shocked Rock said after being hit: “Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me.”
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Smith, who was visibly furious, then shouted: “Keep my wife's name, out of your f***ing mouth."
If you\u2019re confused about what the hell just happened at the #Oscars between Will Smith and Chris Rock, here\u2019s the unedited versionpic.twitter.com/VGv0o8IvMk— Hannah Jane Parkinson (@Hannah Jane Parkinson) 1648437264
It came after Rock began making GI Jane jokes at the expense of Smith's wife Jada Pinkett-Smith. He was presumably upset given the reason for his wife's short-hair; she's battled with alopecia for years.
"It was a GI Jane joke," Rock said, before Smith angrily shouted the same response.
“That was the greatest night in the history of television," he then added, clearly dazed by what had just happened.
As you can imagine, it’s all the internet is talking about after the ceremony and social media had a field day in the aftermath – here are some of the best reactions.
Me waking up and seeing why Will Smith is trending.pic.twitter.com/KtrwCCJslZ— Sooz Kempner (@Sooz Kempner) 1648448510
The joke was stiffer than the slap.— Sean Waltman (@Sean Waltman) 1648438618
As a minor celebrity i feel like i have 27-30 hours to do anything i want and no one will notice— Diedrich Bader (@Diedrich Bader) 1648439280
Suddenly Chris rock shows up in the in memoriam— broti gupta (@broti gupta) 1648435324
richard williams taught me to protect my family and that love will make you do crazy things, absolute goated excuse for assaulting someone on live tv, let him get away with it— josh lewis (@josh lewis) 1648437589
all in all, I think so far I've done a very smooth job in my job as producer of the academy awards— David Sims (@David Sims) 1648435736
. @RealWillSmithFP has obviously been watching @RealKingRegal on #AEWDynamite & #AEWRampage \n#Oscarpic.twitter.com/zN0q91gxzB— All Elite Wrestling (@All Elite Wrestling) 1648438965
Will Smith started his Oscar campaign by saying \u201cI puke every time I cum\u201d and ended it by punching Chris Rock on live television, an undeniable legend— AJ MOSER (@AJ MOSER) 1648434936
pic.twitter.com/qLiwOoUDv6— ShoYouMomo (@ShoYouMomo) 1648439739
Jada if Chris rock made a Will smith jokepic.twitter.com/97ctmEkikn— Le5-6 (@Le5-6) 1648437038
Fair play. The new Bel-Air *is* grittier— Nooruddean (@Nooruddean) 1648450840
Will Smith laughing off the joke and then sees his wife didn\u2019t like itpic.twitter.com/6D385HLOzo— george (@george) 1648452232
Kevin hart backstage rehearsing his jada jokes then sees will smithpic.twitter.com/dBnfxlCOIS— _Moseh_ (@_Moseh_) 1648452187
Andrew Garfield texting the other Peter Parkers to see if Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in their universes too . #Oscarspic.twitter.com/INHA70BHuA— Zero Chills (@Zero Chills) 1648453838
Will Smithpic.twitter.com/CgbQC1zaEl— Auron (@Auron) 1648438402
\u2018I once got slapped by will smith at the Oscar\u2019s after making a joke about his wife\u2019pic.twitter.com/U5wamEXjMK— Garry Harrity (@Garry Harrity) 1648451135
Will Smith laughing at Chris Rock's joke then realizing Jada ain't happypic.twitter.com/fZpiAnZlEI— Theo (@Theo) 1648451773
Me during this Chris Rock and Will Smith moment #Oscarspic.twitter.com/idTP8tuRvi— Anneliese Bustillo (@Anneliese Bustillo) 1648434516
\u201cyour next task is to crack a joke about Jada in front of Will Smith at the Oscar\u2019s\u201d\n\nChris Rock:pic.twitter.com/HgsGUedlEV— Heavy Hitta \ud83d\udc0d\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udded (@Heavy Hitta \ud83d\udc0d\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udded) 1648451232
Will smith after seeing Jada\u2019s reaction to Chris Rock\u2019s joke.pic.twitter.com/Mc4kZZIivG— Imported Alhaji \ud83e\udd85 (@Imported Alhaji \ud83e\udd85) 1648451237
pic.twitter.com/D4Z4yikiwk— Jonny Sharples (@Jonny Sharples) 1648454977
\u2018Why\u2019d you punch Chris Rock then Will?\u2019pic.twitter.com/OGsRkdfvOK— Accidental Partridge (@Accidental Partridge) 1648473283
Looks like there\u2019s been enough talk!https://twitter.com/michaelpastz/status/1508284282309169159\u00a0\u2026— TheMarkHenry (@TheMarkHenry) 1648439010
https://twitter.com/jetgreguar/status/1508281482078420996\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/cDJf5q9Ioj— death plinko (@death plinko) 1648438903
If I were Will Smith I would simply have debated and defeated Chris Rock in the marketplace of ideas.— Liam Bright (@Liam Bright) 1648460305
Will Smith laughing at Chris Rock's joke then realizing Jada ain't happypic.twitter.com/oL8lkP2PIY— Mash (@Mash) 1648450868
32, it hits you hard! Thanks for the messages people pic.twitter.com/3FhgnKKJ4F— Michail Antonio (@Michail Antonio) 1648477639
pic.twitter.com/3Z9rCzTCfm— Classical Studies Mem\u0258s for Hellenistic Teens (@Classical Studies Mem\u0258s for Hellenistic Teens) 1648437529
snl healing the nation this weekendpic.twitter.com/vaDNuWX8GV— Rajat Suresh (@Rajat Suresh) 1648495203
Chris Rock should have known better than to mess with an Inokiist.pic.twitter.com/Kvdj3rr8Te— Eric (@Eric) 1648471285
Will Smith I am so sorry i wasn\u2019t your motherpic.twitter.com/rsrv6OqdQn— doctor worm (@doctor worm) 1648441651
They never making madagascar 4pic.twitter.com/gBXr41Xlvf— 9. \u201cYeah, But That Backflip Tho\u201d (@9. \u201cYeah, But That Backflip Tho\u201d) 1648436133
'Koop ma wiff's name out of your fooking meth.'pic.twitter.com/FMib6si5Ml— Stephen Graham \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Stephen Graham \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1648456103
Had to be donepic.twitter.com/FLFj33l2wv— John Frankensteiner (@John Frankensteiner) 1648517625
STATLER: say miss piggy\u2019s singing isn\u2019t a half bad\n\nWALDORF: yeah\u2026it\u2019s all bad!\n\n*kermit starts climbing up to the balcony*— Ben Rosen (@Ben Rosen) 1648500577
Smith then won Best Actor for King Richard 15 minutes after the incident took place and he referenced a piece of advice Denzel Washington had just given him.
“I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people,” Smith said. “I know, to do what we do, we’ve gotta be able to take abuse. You’ve gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you’ve gotta be able to have people disrespecting you. You’ve gotta smile and pretend that that’s okay.
“Denzel said to me a few minutes ago”, adding Washington said: “‘In your highest moments, be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you’.”
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