After the video of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock went viral and left not just viewers but also the audience and other Hollywood celebs shocked, reactions started pouring in. Will's son, Jaden Smith, tweeted, "And That's How We Do It (sic)."
Chris had joked on stage, "Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can't wait to see it, all right? That was a nice one, OK?" Will then walked on stage, slapped Chris and returned to his seat. He shouted, "Keep my wife's name out of your f--king mouth!"
However, when Will won the Best Actor Oscar for playing Richard Williams in the movie King Richard, he apologised for the incident during his winning speech. "I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I'm not crying for winning an award, it's not about winning an award for me." The actor received advice from Denzel Washington after he slapped the comedian and the former shared it on stage. "Denzel said to me a few minutes ago, 'At your highest moment, be careful, that's when the devil comes for you.'"
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has responded to the Will Smith-Chris Rock slap episode that has overshadowed everything else that happened at the 94th Academy Awards.
It said in a statement tweeted on its official account: "The Academy does not condone violence of any form." Then went on to say: "Tonight, we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world."
While presenting the best documentary feature award, Rock, a well-regarded comic actor, joked about Will Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, starring in 'G.I. Jane 2' because of her bald head. He was referencing the 1997 movie 'G.I. Jane' in which Demi Moore appears with a shaved head.
Pinkett Smith has been open about her struggles with alopecia, a medical condition causes aggravated hair loss. Smith reacted to the joke by going up on stage, separated from where he was sitting by a foot, and slapping Rock. He then returned to his seat and shouted, "Keep my wife's name out of your f****** mouth!" Many Hollywood celebrities have called it the 'ugliest moment ever'.