Will Smith left Oscar viewers stunned and speechless on Sunday night after he slapped Chris Rock following an off-color joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss, which is due to alopecia.
Hollywood stars quickly took to Twitter to call out Smith’s shocking attack, with comedian and director Judd Apatow calling the display ‘pure out of control rage and violence’ and claiming that Smith ‘could have killed’ Rock.
‘Seems like Will Smith’s plan to get comedian and the world to not make jokes about him is not going to pan out. The Williams family must be furious. Pure narcissism,’ he wrote.
Who saw that coming?! Hollywood stars spoke out against Will Smith on Sunday night after he slapped Chris Rock following an off-color joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss
‘Also — GI Jane was gorgeous. What exactly is insulting about being compared to a ripped, stunning Demi?’ he wrote, referencing the Ridley Scott–directed Demi Moore–starring film.
Apatow strongly rejected a Twitter user who said they ‘understood’ why Smith hit Rock because of Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia.
‘He could have killed him. That’s pure out of control rage and violence. They’ve heard a million jokes about them in the last three decades. They are not freshman in the world of Hollywood and comedy. He lost his mind,’ he wrote.
Rock, 57, appeared to have set off Smith — who is nominated for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard — by joking that the Matrix Resurrections actress was preparing to star in a sequel to G.I. Jane, a reference to her bald head.
‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth,’ Smith shouted from the audience after returning to his seat near the stage.
Off the rails: Rock, 57, appeared to have set off Smith — who was nominated for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard — by joking that the Matrix Resurrections actress was preparing to star in a sequel to G.I. Jane, a reference to her bald head
Not having it: Judd Apatow didn’t have much sympathy for Smith’s behavior
‘He could have killed him’: He strongly rejected a Twitter user who said they ‘understood’ why Smith hit Rock because of Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia
Kathy Griffin agreed with Apatow and called out Smith.
She wasn’t having any of the rationalizations and defenses for his conduct, and she worried that his attack would embolden hecklers that regularly interrupt comedy shows.
‘Let me tell you something, it’s a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a Comedian. Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters.’
Will and Jada’s son Jaden Smith didn’t reference the slap in his Twitter post, but he didn’t speak out against it, tweeting, ‘And That’s How We Do It.’
Later, he included a photo of himself in a car wearing sunglasses and noted that his father’s acceptance speech made him emotional.
‘My Dads Speech Made Me Cry,’ he wrote.
Serena Williams, whose early years are documented in the inspiring drama, appeared to react to Smith attacking Rock in a short video posted to her Instagram Stories.
One brief clip showed her off the main floor with her moth hanging open and her eyes wide in shock.
‘I just sat down ’cause I was like, “I’ve gotta get a drink now,”‘ she said in a follow-up video posted from inside the theater, though she didn’t explicitly address the apparent assault.
Not helping: Kathy Griffin wasn’t having any of the rationalizations and defenses for Smith’s conduct, and she worried that his attack would embolden hecklers that regularly interrupt comedy shows
Family: Will and Jada’s son Jaden Smith didn’t reference the slap in his Twitter post, but he didn’t speak out against it, tweeting, ‘And That’s How We Do It.’
Tears: Later, he included a photo of himself in a car wearing sunglasses and noted that his father’s acceptance speech made him emotional
Shocker: Serena Williams appeared to react to Smith attacking Rock in a short video posted to her Instagram Stories. One brief clip showed her off the main floor with her moth hanging open and her eyes wide in shock
Needs a breather: ‘I just sat down ’cause I was like, “I’ve gotta get a drink now,”‘ she said in a follow-up video posted from inside the theater
Will and Jada joined together for some playful posts before the ceremony, but they seemed to capture the actor’s mood even before his brutal outburst.
‘Me ‘n @jadapinkettsmith got all dressed up to choose chaos,’ he captioned a short Instagram video.
The two looked sweet as they stood together for a photo, but he layered narration from another source over the clip.
‘Good morning, everyone. God has let me live another day and I am about to make it everyone’s problem,’ the voice said.
Then the video cut to a variety of photos of the two mugging with snarling faces.
Calm before the storm: Will and Jada joined together for some playful posts before the ceremony, but they seemed to capture the actor’s mood even before his brutal outburst
Bad timing: ‘Good morning, everyone. God has let me live another day and I am about to make it everyone’s problem,’ said a narrator on the video
Awkward: Then the video cut to a variety of photos of the two mugging with snarling faces
Mandy Moore seemed to reference the attack with a tweet she reposted to her Instagram Stories, which appeared to urge viewers not to salute the actor’s ‘violence.’
‘Violence is never “proof of love,”‘ wrote Glennon Doyle. ‘That’s a deadly idea that has fueled and excused domestic (and all) violence for far too long. think hard about that take, please.’
She followed it up by reposting a second comment: ‘”Love will make you do some crazy things” is true toxic bulls*** and I hope no children watching this learn a thing from him.’
‘THIS,’ she added.
Wagging her finger: Mandy Moore seemed to reference the attack with a tweet she reposted to her Instagram Stories, which appeared to urge viewers not to salute the actor’s ‘violence’
Speaking out: She followed it up by reposting a second comment: ‘”Love will make you do some crazy things” is true toxic bulls*** and I hope no children watching this learn a thing from him’
Jodie Turner-Smith couldn’t get over her ‘second-hand embarrassment’ at the display.
‘And as far as *that incident* goes… . . i am still processing,’ she wrote. ‘I have second hand embarrassment for all involved.’
Jimmy Kimmel could be counted on to find a joke from the shocking event.
‘What was the vegas line on the fresh prince punching little penny in the face?’ he tweeted.
What a night! Will Smith later took home the Best Actor prize for playing Venus and Serena Williams’ father Richard Williams in King Richard
Can’t look: But Jodie Turner-Smith couldn’t get over her ‘second-hand embarrassment’ at the display
Having a laugh: Jimmy Kimmel could be counted on to find a joke from the shocking event. ‘What was the vegas line on the fresh prince punching little penny in the face?’ he tweeted
Some celebrities couldn’t believe that the slap happened live on national television.
‘Wtaf?????’ tweeted The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah. ‘That wasn’t scripted?????’
Conan O’Brien wrote, ‘Just saw the Will Smith slap. Anyone have a late night show i can borrow just for tomorrow?’
Comedian Nikki Glaser appeared to allude to rumors about Will and Jada’s relationship by tweeting, ‘Open relationships seem healthy.’
Ron Funches, also a comic, defended Rock and said his joke was ‘harmless.’
‘That joke was harmless. Chris got caught up in the family drama,’ he tweeted.
‘Look, all I know is Katt Williams would’ve shot the whole place up if he got slapped,’ he added later.
Hard to believe: Even the celebrities couldn’t believe that the slap happened live on national television. ‘Wtaf?????’ tweeted The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah. ‘That wasn’t scripted?????’
Bad timing: Conan O’Brien wrote, ‘Just saw the Will Smith slap. Anyone have a late night show i can borrow just for tomorrow?’
Yikes: Comedian Nikki Glaser appeared to allude to rumors about Will and Jada’s relationship by tweeting, ‘Open relationships seem healthy’
Sounding off: Ron Funches, also a comic, defended Rock and said his joke was ‘harmless.’ ‘That joke was harmless. Chris got caught up in the family drama,’ he tweeted
Going dark: He joked that comedian Katt Williams would have reacted much more poorly to the same slap
Maksim Chmerkovskiy understood Smith wanting to stand up for his wife, but she said there ‘were other ways to handle this.’
‘I gotta say…unless this was staged (it didn’t look like it) …there were other ways to handle this. My god This is WILD!!!! It ruined the rest of the show, and now the only thing people will remember about these Oscars is this altercation.
‘On the flip side, I am all for Will Smith standing up for his wife. I think the reason is VALID, however this was not it.’
D.L. Hughley referenced his recent feud with Kanye West in a series of tweets about the incident.
‘Wayment did #Ali just punch #Pookie??,’ he wrote, adding, ‘That’s some #IAmLegend fo yo A**.’
He continued, ‘Wow!! And I thought me and #Kanye had beef!
‘I bet the next #Oscars will be hosted by #TheRock not #ChrisRock,’ he wrote, before joking that the Russian invasion of Ukraine had gotten less publicity than the fight.
Wrong approach: Maksim Chmerkovskiy understood Smith wanting to stand up for his wife, but she said there ‘were other ways to handle this’
Having a laugh: D.L. Hughley referenced his recent feud with Kanye West in a series of tweets about the incident.
The writer Saeed Jones joked that Jada’s talk show Red Table Talk might play a role in cleaning up the Oscars mess.
‘Stop the damn #Oscars broadcast and drag a red table onto the stage because we need to TALK,’ he tweeted.
Abbott Elementary star Quinta Brunson joked: ‘What a very west Philly Oscars.’
George Takei wrote that ‘With celebrity comes responsibility’ as he chided Smith.
‘Many People, especially kids, look up to actors. Because of that, we have an obligation to try to be good role models. With celebrity comes responsibility,’ he tweeted.
After Treat Williams jokingly asked if he missed anything at the Oscars, Patton Oswalt had some fun in his quote tweet.
‘[Kevin] Costner’s speech was incredible. Believe me it’s all anyone’s gonna be talking about tomorrow,’ he joked.
Interruption: The writer Saeed Jones joked that Jada’s talk show Red Table Talk might play a role in cleaning up the Oscars mess
Fitting: Abbott Elementary star Quinta Brunson joked: ‘What a very west Philly Oscars’
Speaking up: George Takei wrote that ‘With celebrity comes responsibility’ as he chided Smith
Silly: After Treat Williams jokingly asked if he missed anything at the Oscars, Patton Oswalt had some fun in his quote tweet
Maria Shriver didn’t mince words in calling out Smith.
‘#WillSmith says he wants to be a vessel for love. Love is not violent. Love is not what was displayed on a global stage tonight,’ she tweeted.
‘We should never get to a place where we sit and watch a movie start hit someone on global television then, moments later, get a standing ovation while talking about love,’ she added.
Solomon Georgio joked, ‘I can’t believe that happened. A GI Jane reference in 2022?’
Warren Beatty and Annette Bening’s daughter Isabel Beatty referenced her father’s mixup at the 2017 Oscars, when he accidentally announced La La Land as the Best Picture winner, instead of the actual winner, Moonlight.
‘Yes this is more unhinged than my dads moment, no debate,’ she tweeted.
No ‘love’:Maria Shriver didn’t mince words in calling out Smith. ‘#WillSmith says he wants to be a vessel for love. Love is not violent. Love is not what was displayed on a global stage tonight,’ she tweeted
Didn’t see that coming: Solomon Georgio joked, ‘I can’t believe that happened. A GI Jane reference in 2022?’
No comparison: Warren Beatty and Annette Bening’s daughter Isabel Beatty referenced her father’s mixup at the 2017 Oscars, when he announced the wrong Best Picture winner by mistake
OSCARS 2022: WINNERS
Don’t Look Up (Netflix)
Drive My Car (Janus Films/Sideshow)
Dune (Warner Bros)
King Richard (Warner Bros)
Licorice Pizza (MGM/United Artists Releasing)
Nightmare Alley (Searchlight Pictures)
The Power Of The Dog (Netflix)
West Side Story (20th Century Studios)
On the saddle: Power Of The Dog received several nominations including Best Picture
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Jessie Buckley – The Lost Daughter
Ariana DeBose – West Side Story – WINNER
Judi Dench – Belfast
Kirsten Dunst- The Power Of The Dog
Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Ciaran Hinds – Belfast
Troy Kotsur – Coda – WINNER
Jesse Plemons – The Power Of The Dog
J.K Simmons – Being The Ricardos
Kodi Smitt-McPhee – The Power Of The Dog
Cruella (Jenny Beavan) – WINNER
Cyrano (Massimo Cantini Parrini)
Dune (Jacqueline West)
Nightmare Alley (Luis Sequeira)
West Side Story (Paul Tazewell)
Jumping for joy: West Side Story was nominated for Best Costume Design
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND
No Time To Die
The Power Of The Dog
West Side Story
Don’t Look Up (Nicholas Britell)
Dune (Hans Zimmer) – WINNER
Encanto (Germaine Franco)
Parallel Mothers (Alberto Iglesias)
The Power of the Dog (Jonny Greenwood)
CODA (Sian Heder) – WINNER
Drive My Car (Ryusuke Hamaguchi & Takamasa Oe)
Dune (Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts & Denis Villeneuve)
The Lost Daughter (Maggie Gyllenhaal)
The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion)
Loud and clear: Coda was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Belfast (Kenneth Branagh) – WINNER
Don’t Look Up (Adam McKay & David Sirota)
Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson)
King Richard (Zach Baylin)
The Worst Person in the World (Joachim Trier & Eskil Vogt)
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Affairs Of The Heart
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
Ala Kachuu — Take and Run
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
The Worst Person in the World
Dune (Zsuzsanna Sipos & Patrice Vermette) – WINNER
Nightmare Alley (Tamara Deverell & Shane Vieau)
The Power of the Dog (Grant Major & Amber Richards)
The Tragedy of Macbeth (Stefan Dechant & Nancy Haigh)
West Side Story (Rena DeAngelo & Adam Stockhausen)
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Javier Bardem – Being the Ricardos
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog
Andrew Garfield – tick, tick… BOOM!
Will Smith – King Richard – WINNER
Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth
Ace? Will Smith is nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for King Richard
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye – WINNER
Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter
Penélope Cruz – Parallel Mothers
Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardos
Kristen Stewart – Spencer
Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza
Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog – WINNER
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi – Drive My Car
Steven Spielberg – West Side Story
At the helm: Jane Campion is nominated in the Best Director category for Power Of The Dog
FILM EDITING
Don’t Look Up (Hank Corwin)
Dune (Joe Walker) – WINNER
King Richard (Pamela Martin)
The Power of the Dog (Peter Sciberras)
Tick, Tick… Boom! (Myron Kerstein & Andrew Weisblum)
MAKEUP AND HAIR STYLING
Coming 2 America
The Eyes Of Tammy Faye – WINNER
House Of Gucci
The Mitchells VS The Machine
Raya And The Lost Dragon
Be Alive — Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Darius Scott (King Richard)
Dos Oruguitas — Lin-Manuel Miranda (Encanto)
Down to Joy — Van Morrison (Belfast)
No Time to Die — Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell (No Time to Die) – WINNER
Somehow You Do— Diane Warren (Four Good Days)
Three Songs for Benazir
When We Were Bullies
Summer of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) – WINNER
No Time To Die
Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Stunning: Dune earned nods in both the Best Visual Effects and Best Cinematography categories
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Dune (Greig Fraser) – WINNER
Nightmare Alley (Dan Lausten)
The Power of the Dog (Ari Wegner)
The Tragedy of Macbeth (Bruno Delbonnel)
West Side Story (Janusz Kaminski)
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