The 2022 Academy Awards witnessed a surprising incident, as Hollywood star Will Smith slapped the American comedian, Chris Rock, after the latter made a joke about the first wife.
Before receiving the Oscar for Best Actor, Smith slapped Rock in the face with the palm of his hand, and insulted him because of the latter’s mockery of the appearance of Smith’s wife, who suffers from a disease that leads to extensive hair loss, at the ceremony held on Sunday.
Will Smith just said, nope. That’s my wife.#Oscars pic.twitter.com/zKk2Gjemuy
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) March 28, 2022
Smith walked onto the stage and slapped Rock, in what at first glance appeared to be a pre-written joke.
But the mood turned gloomy moments later when Smith returned to his seat and shouted again, “Don’t pronounce my wife’s name with your hateful mouth,” Reuters reported.
After the incident, Smith cried, “apologizing to the Academy” (the body that is responsible for the Oscars), after he amazed the audience in the hall, and said: “Love makes you do crazy things.”
Smith won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in “King Richard”, as the father and coach of tennis champions Serena and Venus Williams.