Something unpredictable and unprecedented happened at this year’s 94th Academy Awards, Hollywood veteran actors Will Smith and Chris Rock had an unscripted feud on-stage. Actor Chris Rock took the Oscars stage to give the best documentary award, apparently the longtime comedian joked about Will Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Intitially, Will Smith laughed a little but Jada Smith made her frustration known via her facial expression. Soon, Will went up to the stage and slapped Chris Rock. Rock began his segment by saying, “Javier Bardem and his wife are both nominated. Now, if she loses, he can’t win. He is praying that Will Smith wins, like, please, lord. Jada, I love you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it, all right?” The joke got a lukeworm reaction from the audience, Rock added, “That was a nice one!”
Earlier, Jada Pinkett Smith opened up about her diagnosis with alopecia which is a hair loss condition. She first revealed this in 2018 and ever since then she has talked about her problems and challenges via social media. She said she cut her hair after heaps of it came out in shower, she stated, “It was one of those times in my life where I was literally shaking in fear. That’s why I cut my hair, and why I continue to cut it.”
The whole auditorium at the award show turned silent after Will slapped Rock. Soon, Smith came back to his seat and shouted. “Keep my wife’s name out of your f****ng mouth.” Despite no mic, his voice was so loud that nearly everyone heard it. As the altercation ended, Chris Rock said, “That was the greatest night in the history of television.”
Now, at the time of commercial break actor Daniel Kaluuya hugged Will while Denzel Washington took him to the side of the stage, as he comforted Smith, actor Tyler Perry joined in and actress Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban talked to Will and Jada as well. Will Smith won the Best Actor award for his role in King Richard (2021), during his award acceptance speech Smith apologised to the Academy and narrated about the significance of family in his life, saying, “I wanna apologize to the Academy….to all my fellow nominees…Art imitates life, I look like the crazy father!…Love will make you do crazy things.” Will Smith plays the role of Richard Williams in the film, who is the father of tennis champions Serena Williams and Venus Williams.
In his speech, Will talked about, “Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family. 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 Aunjanue Ellis, who is one of the strongest, most delicate people I’ve ever met. I got to protect Saniyya and Demi, 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. I know what to do what we do, you got to be able to take abuse. You got to be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business you got to be able to have people disrespecting you. And you got to smile and you got to pretend like that’s okay.”
