The details surrounding the Oscar Slap became one of the biggest entertainment stories of 2022. Rapper/actor Will Smith choosing to smack comedian/actor Chris Rock on stage at the 94th Academy Awards ceremony made international news.
Will Smith apologized for the violent incident during the Oscar broadcast. However, he did not mention Chris Rock in that apology. The former star of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air released a taped apology on his social media pages.
The nearly six-minute YouTube video – titled “It’s been a minute…” – includes Will Smith apologizing to Chris Rock. Smith also stated Rock apparently was not ready to speak with him directly about the situation.
According to Deadline, Chris Rock did have something to say about the Oscar Slap during his stand-up show at London’s O2 Arena this weekend. The routine reportedly included Rock saying, “F### your hostage video.”
The entire ordeal stems from Chris Rock joking about Will Smith’s wife while performing a comedic bit at the Academy Awards. Smith became upset about Rock making fun of Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. The Girls Trip actress lost her hair due to alopecia.
“Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it,” said Rock, referring to a hypothetical sequel to the 1997 movie G.I. Jane which featured a bald Demi Moore in the lead role.
Will Smith then walked on stage, slapped Chris Rock, and returned to his seat in the front row. The Grammy winner also yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out your f###### mouth!” Later that same night, Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor for his work as Richard Williams in King Richard.