Will Smith Slapped Chris Rock On Stage At The Oscars And The Internet Exploded

The 2022 Oscars had quite a few laughs and jokes throughout the night, but even the best jokes can result in hurt feelings. Chris Rock learned that the hard way when he sent an out-of-pocket joke Jada Pinkett Smith’s way and heard about it from Will Smith. The Oscar-nominated actor didn’t take too kindly to the comedian mocking his wife and dropped an f-bomb over it. 

The internet is all up in arms and confused after Will Smith’s reaction to Chris Rock’s joke. Rock made a brief comment about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair, saying he couldn’t wait for GI Jane 2, apparently making a reference to Pinkett’s shaved head. Smith approached the stage and slapped Rock, in a moment that seemingly surprised the comedian. As the two carried on, people took to Twitter wondering what in the hell just happened. 

At first, some might’ve thought the moment was some elaborate bit. After all, many in the United States didn’t get the full audio exchange between the two. After those with a foreign broadcast started uploading the full audio exchange between the two where Will Smith told Chris Rock to keep Jada Pinkett Smith’s name out of his “fucking mouth,” things got real. 

The moment was unbelievable for viewers, especially considering Will Smith’s nomination for Best Actor. To see two respected figures in Hollywood have a heated exchange on live television was unexpected and certainly enough to set the internet on fire. 

It didn’t take long for news to come in from the Oscars floor, and reports came in confirming the exchange didn’t happen during rehearsals and that even veteran actor and Oscar winner (and nominee this year alongside Smith) Denzel Washington went to talk to Will Smith during the break. Meanwhile, the internet continued to speculate on the drama and what might come after between Smith and Chris Rock. 

Will Smith later won the Oscar for Best Actor and opened his speech describing Richard Williams as a man that protected his family. Smith then continued on with his theme of protection and referenced dealing with criticism as an actor. Smith ultimately twisted the shocking moment into an unbelievably powerful speech and gained back the support of viewers in the process. 

Hopefully, the two ultimately talk out the incident and have a chance to talk it all out. The last thing we want is a war between Chris Rock (who has some acting projects of his own on the way) and Will Smith, so here’s hoping cooler heads prevail. 

The 2022 Oscars on ABC were certainly a wild ride (thanks in no small part to that moment), but there are other things worth talking about. Check out the full list of 2022 Oscars winners here, and prepare for the coming days of comments about Will Smith and Chris Rock!