‘He Could Have Killed Him’: Celebrities Weigh In on Will Smith Slap

The 2022 Oscars ceremony was derailed when Will Smith walked onstage and slapped Chris Rock across the face for making a joke about his wife, actor Jada Pinkett Smith. Rock referenced Pinkett Smith’s baldness (she has alopecia) and made a reference to 1997 movie G.I. Jane (which features a bald Demi Moore). Shortly after smacking the comedian, Smith returned to the stage for winning for Best Leading Actor, accepting the award in a bizarre, tearful speech.

As the chaos unfurled on-screen, the program scrambled to defuse the tension in the room. Co-host Amy Schumer joked, “What’d I miss?” Anthony Hopkins called for “peace.” On Twitter, the reactions were a bit more pointed.

“He could have killed him,” wrote director Judd Apatow in a since-deleted tweet. “That’s pure out of control rage and violence. They’ve heard a million jokes about them in the last three decades. They are not freshman in the world of Hollywood and comedy. He lost his mind.” Less dramatic, he added: “I have more hair on my back than on my head and I can take a joke about it.”

Apatow continued: “Seems like Will Smith’s plan to get comedians and the world to not make jokes about him is not going to pan out. The Williams family must be furious. Pure narcissism. Also- GI Jane was gorgeous. What exactly is insulting about being compared to a ripped, stunning Demi?” And: “Will Smith screwed over who deserved his moment without that toxic nonsense before him. I’m glad Chris is ok. Will learned nothing training for Ali. Will Smith’s punches are as soft as his raps,”

Comedian Kathy Griffin echoed Apatow’s disdain: “It’s a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a Comedian,” Griffin wrote. “Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters.”

Sean “Diddy” Combs, who attended the Oscars, tweeted after the ceremony to “Move on with LOVE.” He also shared his dismay at the whole situation in a video taken in his car. “Shit happens sometimes,” he said.

Others had a lighter reaction. “Just saw the Will Smith slap,” tweeted Conan O’Brien. “Anyone have a late night show I can borrow just for tomorrow?” Many others pointed out that the real shock was a G.I. Jane reference in 2022.

Fewer people are coming to Smith’s defense. His son Jaden Smith simply tweeted: “And That’s How We Do It.” And later, in a since-deleted tweet, U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) lauded Smith for standing up for his wife. “Alopecia nation stand up!” she tweeted. “Thank you Will Smith Shout out to all the husbands who defend their wives … Boys need not apply.”

From Rolling Stone US.