Chris Rock–Will Smith slapping incident

Will Smith (right) slapping Chris Rock (left) in the face during the 94th Academy Awards ceremony

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On March 27, 2022, during the live television broadcast of the 94th Academy Awards, actor Will Smith walked onstage and slapped comedian Chris Rock across the face as he presented the Award for Best Documentary. Just before, Rock had acknowledged Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, with a joke about her shaved head. Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia areata, was seated next to Smith and did not appear amused. Smith then walked onto the stage and slapped Rock before returning to his seat and shouting at the comedian, including the use of profanity. Rock briefly commented on the incident and then continued the ceremony. Later in the ceremony, Smith went on to win the Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of tennis coach Richard Williams in the film King Richard. In his acceptance speech, Smith apologized to the Academy and to his colleagues, but not to Rock.

Audience members and television viewers were shocked by the incident, and some wondered whether it was scripted. In the United States, most of the audio of the confrontation was muted by broadcaster ABC due to federal laws, but uncensored video footage from international broadcasters was posted online and quickly went viral, rapidly accumulating tens of millions of views across multiple platforms. The incident prompted widespread commentary, discussion and debate. The following day, Smith issued an apology to Rock and the Academy via Instagram and Facebook. Smith resigned his membership in the Academy on April 1, 2022, amid facing a potential suspension or expulsion from the organization.

Background

From left to right: Will Smith, Chris Rock, and Jada Pinkett Smith

Newsweek published an article on April 1, 2022, pointing out that Chris Rock had made remarks insulting Jada Pinkett Smith's activism as far back as 1997, when Rock made jokes ridiculing Pinkett Smith's participation in the Million Woman March, in a heavily edited video as a part of a monologue, as well as in an interview with Pinkett Smith on his eponymous late night-talk show, The Chris Rock Show.

On March 3, 2022, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Chris Rock as one of the presenters of the 94th Academy Awards. Rock previously served as the host for the awards on two separate occasions, including in 2016, when several actors boycotted the event due to the lack of African-American nominees. Jada Pinkett Smith was among those participating in the boycott, leading Rock to joke about her in his opening monologue: "Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna's panties. I wasn't invited."

During a 2018 episode of her talk show Red Table Talk, Pinkett Smith revealed that she was losing her hair, potentially because of stress. She was diagnosed with alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease, and in July 2021, she decided to completely shave her head.

Incident

Rock came on stage to announce the nominees for Best Documentary Feature at the 94th Academy Awards, where he performed a brief monologue filled with jokes, largely reading from a teleprompter script. Rock made a joke about husband and wife Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz both receiving comparable nominations at the same ceremony. The joke was that Bardem would be "praying that Will Smith wins" for Best Actor if Cruz lost her award.

Meanwhile, Smith and Pinkett Smith were seated together near the front of the audience. Rock then began an ad-libbed joke about Pinkett Smith's shaved head, making a comparison to Demi Moore's character in the 1997 film G.I. Jane.

Rock: Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can't wait to see it, all right? [audience laughs]

Following the reference, the broadcast showed Smith and Pinkett Smith's reactions to the joke: Smith laughed and smiled, while Pinkett Smith's face showed clear displeasure. The broadcast then returned to Rock.

Rock: It's—that was a—that was a nice one! Okay. I'm out here— [he sees Smith approaching him] uh oh–Richar...

Rock continued laughing and leaning forward as Smith crossed the stage to stand and confront him face-to-face. Without speaking, Smith slapped Rock across the face, then quickly turned around and returned to his seat. Rock reacted to the incident onstage, while Smith shouted at him from his seat, without a microphone.

Rock: Oh, wow! Wow! [shakes head and clicks tongue] Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me. [audience laughs] Thi–

Smith: Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth! [audience gasps]

Rock: Wow, dude!

Smith: Yes.

Rock: It was a G.I. Jane joke.

Smith: [raising voice] Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth!

Rock: I'm going to, okay? ...I could, oh, okay. That was a... greatest night in the history of television, okay. [audience laughs] Okay.

Smith's follow-up expletives shouted after the slap were censored through audio muting during the live broadcast in many countries due to the profane audio.

Uncensored viewership

In the United States, broadcaster ABC muted the audio due to federal laws; however, many international broadcasters did not, and uncensored recordings of the event went viral on social media. Uncensored footage of the incident was posted by The Guardian on YouTube, which received over 50 million views within 24 hours, becoming one of the most-viewed online videos in the first 24 hours. The video uses the footage from the Australian broadcast of the ceremony on Seven Network. The video had also reached number 1 on YouTube's trending page within 3 hours in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and many other countries. Some media outlets referred to the altercation, in reference to the shot heard round the world, as "the slap heard around the world." Internet memes related to the incident spread around the internet, with many of them using the photo and video as a template.

Additional videos

On March 31, additional smartphone footage of the incident was published which appeared to show the incident through an audience member's angle at the Smiths' table. The footage seems to show the reaction of Pinkett Smith during and after the joke made by Rock, and shows Pinkett Smith unamused and rolling her eyes during the joke and then seeming to laugh when Rock comments both "Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me" and "That was a ... greatest night in the history of television."

Apology and fallout

Immediate aftermath

In a statement released the following Wednesday, the Academy said Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused. However, others who were present in the room denied that Smith was ever asked, either directly or through a representative, to leave; disagreement ensued between members of the academy's leadership and ceremony producer Will Packer on whether Smith should be allowed to stay, which led to no action being taken. In a subsequent interview with Good Morning America, Packer said he opposed suggestions to remove Smith from the theater because he did not believe that Rock would want it.

Within forty minutes, Smith won the award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Richard Williams in King Richard. He focused his speech on his need to protect those around him and apologized to the academy and to the other nominees, but not to Rock. He received a standing ovation. The Economist described his acceptance speech, in which he appealed to God calling on him to do "crazy things" in the name of love, as "dangerous, self-serving cant".

That evening, LAPD officers met with Packer, who later recalled that they were prepared to arrest Smith on charges of battery. Rock repeatedly declined to press charges.

Near 1 a.m., Smith was filmed dancing at the Vanity Fair after-party as a DJ played Smith's song "Gettin' Jiggy wit It". Writing in The New Yorker, partygoer Michael Schulman observed: "In a Hollywood ending that seemed too dark and surreal to be true, [Smith] appeared to be having the time of his life."

Involved parties

Following public backlash, Smith issued a formal apology in Instagram and Facebook posts. Smith referred to his own behavior as "unacceptable" and "inexcusable". Smith went on to directly address Rock: "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness."

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) issued a statement the following day, condemning Smith's actions and announcing a formal review. SAG-AFTRA, the labor union representing film and television actors, issued a similar statement condemning Smith's behavior: "Violence or physical abuse in the workplace is never appropriate and the union condemns any such conduct. The incident involving Will Smith and Chris Rock at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable. We have been in contact with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and ABC about this incident and will work to ensure this behavior is appropriately addressed. SAG-AFTRA does not comment on any pending member disciplinary process."

Three days after the incident, Rock briefly mentioned the subject for the first time at a comedy show, saying that he was still processing it, but promised to talk about it in the future. He denied rumors that he had spoken to Smith since the altercation. Rock also stated that Smith had not reached out to him personally, nor had they spoken since the ceremony.

Resignation

On April 1, 2022 Smith tendered his resignation from the Academy writing in part:

"I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film. So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate."

AMPAS President David Rubin accepted the resignation in an official statement, "We have received and accepted Mr. Will Smith's immediate resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy's Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18." Smith's resignation means he is no longer able to vote on Oscar nominations as a member of the Academy.

Formal Academy review

On March 28, the day after the incident, AMPAS announced that it launched a formal review of it. The academy's Board of Governors disclosed plans for a full meeting to explore further action and consequences in accordance with their Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law scheduled to take place on the Wednesday following the incident. David Rubin, the AMPAS President, issued a subsequent letter to Academy members, noting that the official process would take a few weeks to determine an appropriate action for Smith. On March 29, Smith initialed a six-minute Zoom call with President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson of AMPAS, apologizing again for his actions, and the Board of Governors were not aware of the conversation when discussing disciplinary procedures the next day. One of the participants in the board meeting called the lack of transparency suspicious and showed lack of leadership.

On March 30, the Academy initiated disciplinary proceedings against Smith for "violations of the Academy's Standards of Conduct, including inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy." Smith was given 15 days to provide a written response. The academy stated, "While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently." The 15 day period indicated when the Board of Governors would vote on whether "suspension, expulsion or other sanctions under the Academy's Standards of Conduct" would be applied to Smith. Numerous Academy members said that AMPAS should, at the very least, suspend Smith's membership, citing the organization's Standards of Conduct implemented eight weeks after Harvey Weinstein's sexual misdeeds were exposed. Previously, the Academy had never expelled a member prior to 2004, when its 42-member board of governors voted unanimously to expel actor Carmine Caridi for sharing promotional copies of films that were later pirated. Subsequently, the Academy expelled Harvey Weinstein, Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby, and cinematographer Adam Kimmel for sexual crimes.

On April 1, Smith preemptively resigned his membership. Smith was told by the AMPAS that he was likely to be expelled for a decade or more. That possibility prompted Smith, who had been an AMPAS member since 2001, to resign before he was pushed out. Even with Smith's resignation, AMPAS announced they would continue to move forward with their disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations of the Academy's Standards of Conduct, in advance of their next scheduled board meeting on April 18th. The AMPAS disciplinary meeting scheduled for April 18th is reported by Variety magazine as planning to still decide upon the issues left unaddressed by Smith's resignation which include: (1) Smith still keeping his Best Actor Oscar for King Richard, (2) Smith still being allowed to be invited by other members to future Academy Awards ceremonies, (3) Smith still being eligible to be nominated for future consideration while no longer being a voting member of the Academy. In addition to his membership with AMPAS, Variety magazine further reported that Smith's other professional memberships, such as the one at SAG-AFTRA, would be informed of the AMPAS disciplinary review outcome for further evaluation of his membership status at SAG-AFTRA.

Reactions and responses

An opinion poll from YouGov conducted the day after the ceremony found that 61% of Americans felt that Smith's actions were unacceptable, versus 22% who said they were acceptable. The Federal Communications Commission, which regulates U.S. broadcasting, received 66 complaints about the incident. Reactions from celebrities were divided.

Allegations of a publicity stunt

Some commentators opined that the altercation was a publicity stunt, due in part to waning viewership numbers for recent years. David Griner from Adweek tweeted: "A slow walk up, an open hand slap, no stagger, slow walk back with no scuffle and no security personnel stepping in? Feels absolutely staged for publicity," with several tweets agreeing with this assessment. Academy sources later told news outlets that the incident was not planned, and that Rock's joke was ad-libbed.

There was some minor discussion as to why an earlier joke by Regina Hall that seemingly made light of the Smiths' marital situation and prior relationship difficulties was received with laughter by the Smiths in contrast to how the couple reacted to the joke by Chris Rock.

Crew of Summer of Soul

Musician Questlove and film producers David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent, and Joseph Patel were on stage immediately after the incident to accept the Best Documentary Feature award for Summer of Soul, and some commenters opined that the group's win had been overshadowed by the incident. Gabrielle Ulubay of Marie Claire wrote, "The film deserved to have its moment, and Questlove's touching speech and tribute to his parents deserved to have our full attention—but instead, the world kept its mind on Will Smith and Chris Rock and its eyes on Twitter." Questlove was asked about the slap incident by a reporter in a backstage press conference immediately after leaving the stage, and declined to answer, stating "I'm not talking about that tonight, this is about the Harlem Cultural Festival." In an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon the next night, Questlove said he did not notice the slap in the moment because he was using Transcendental Meditation to curb his anxiety before the winner was called, and did not realize what had happened until "maybe three seconds before I spoke words."

On March 30, Patel criticized both Rock and Smith for the incident, and took specific offense with Rock calling him, Dinerstein and Fyvolent as "Four white guys" when announcing the winners of the award even though Patel is of South Asian descent and there were only three other individuals awarded alongside Questlove. Patel wrote on Twitter "The reason that makes me so, so very angry is because I was so proud to be one of a handful of South Asians to have ever won an Oscar in the history of the award." Patel said Rock had made the same joke on stage at the Roots Jam event earlier in the week. Patel later deleted his Twitter thread after it went viral and was picked up by news outlets, saying that the added attention made it "unproductive", concluding, "I said what I needed to say and feel at peace with it."

Notable individuals

Reactions from celebrities present at the awards varied. In general, there was strong condemnation of Smith for his use of violence and support for Rock, including Academy Awards co-hosts Wanda Sykes and Amy Schumer, as well as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Pedro Almodóvar, Judd Apatow, Jim Carrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Thomas Haden Church, Kevin Costner, Mia Farrow, Kathy Griffin, Mark Hamill, Zoë Kravitz, John Leguizamo, Rosie O'Donnell, Rob Reiner, Paul Rodriguez, Howard Stern and Rebel Wilson. Conversely, celebrities such as Daniel Radcliffe, Bradley Cooper, Nicki Minaj, Tiffany Haddish, Janet Hubert, Leslie Odom Jr., Jon Voight and Denzel Washington had a more sympathetic view of Smith's actions.

Comedians and comedy clubs

Some comedians, including George Wallace and Kathy Griffin, have spoken out about how the incident has made them feel worried about the possibility of more confrontations, and may be more careful about the topics they joke about. Comedic actor Jim Carrey opined that Smith should have been arrested, and that he would have sued Smith for $200 million had he been the one who was slapped, saying "that video is going to be there forever. It's going to be ubiquitous. That insult is going to last a very long time." Carrey also criticized the Hollywood film industry for giving Smith a standing ovation after receiving his award. Comedic actor Cedric the Entertainer stated at an Oscars after-party if he was assaulted for joking about someone's wife during a stand-up, he would defend himself. English comedian James Corden praised Chris Rock for "keeping the show moving" and criticized Will Smith for not taking a joke; he parodied the incident on his late night show by singing a parody of "We Don't Talk About Bruno" about Jada Pinkett Smith.

The Laugh Factory expressed its support of the First Amendment for comedians in the wake of the incident, and comedy clubs around the United States, including Stand Up NY and Carolines on Broadway, announced that they would be increasing security measures. The president of the Laugh Factory said he has noticed an increase of aggression among patrons since the businesses reopened after the lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The owner of the Comedy Cellar, however, expressed doubts that the slap would inspire copycats.

Politicians

Some politicians, in the United States and abroad, publicly discussed or took a position on the incident. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, reflecting on his own marriage, stated that he "can understand" the reason for Smith's actions, but added, "that's not how you roll." In Canada, Alberta premier Jason Kenney drew criticism for using a meme of the incident to express his position on green energy policies. The New Zealand National Party used a meme of the incident to criticize the New Zealand Labour Party on Facebook, but it was swiftly deleted and disavowed by leader Christopher Luxon.

In the United States, Democratic Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Jamaal Bowman posted tweets in support of Smith, both of which were later deleted. Pressley, who also has alopecia areata, tweeted "Shout out to all the husbands who defend their wives living with alopecia," while Bowman's tweet read "Teachable Moment: Don't joke about a Black Woman's hair." Several GOP lawmakers, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, also voiced support for Will Smith's actions, while Representative Andy Biggs used the incident to create Anti-Biden memes.

Alopecia advocacy

Laura Mathias, a British advocate for people with alopecia, condemned Smith's actions, but said that the incident brought more public awareness of the condition. She also said that she was more likely to go out in public without a wig to cover her baldness in response to Chris Rock's joke, and encouraged other bald people to do the same. U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley, who has also been diagnosed with alopecia, said that the condition is "not a line in a joke". Pressley also tweeted in defense of Smith, saying "Shout out to all the husbands who defend their wives living with alopecia in the face of daily ignorance & insults." and added "Women with baldies are for real men only…boys need not apply." The tweet was later deleted. In contrast, Bill Maher commented "Alopecia is not leukemia. We all struggle with our hair."

Views on criminality

While the LAPD reported that Rock did not wish to file a police report, former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani explained that the idea of "pressing charges" is a legal misconception, and that the choice was ultimately up to the office of Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer. Criminal defense lawyer Alison Triessl echoed these sentiments, saying: "I would surprised if the city attorney does not seriously consider [charges] because it was so public... Are they sending the wrong message if they don't prosecute him? [...] It sends a message that you can commit a crime and you won't be punished. This was a very wrong message." However, former Los Angeles County prosecutor Alan Jackson believed that charges would not be pursued so long as Rock did not participate.

The morning after the incident, chief legal analyst Aron Solomon of Esquire Digital, wrote "It is clear that what happened at the Oscars was an assault under the California statutory definition". Tarek Fatah wrote in The Toronto Sun, "Of the two men in the discussion, only one of them broke the law at the Oscars and got away with it because the LAPD stood back and let it happen... Only when Will Smith is charged with assault and battery will it show that justice is blind". Jody Armour, a law professor at the University of Southern California, argued "If Smith is not charged, it could imperil the justice system's credibility".

However, other legal experts argued against charges. Alan Jackson said "To be arrested on a misdemeanor, it has to happen in front of the authorities, or conversely the person against whom the crime was allegedly committed has to file a formal complaint with police". Loyola Law School professor and former federal prosecutor Laurie Levenson said that the case was not serious enough to merit being treated as a priority; defense attorney and former prosecutor Michael Cardoza agreed, saying that while Smith's actions did constitute a crime, "it's not significant enough to clog our courts". Defense attorney Lou Shapiro argued that Smith was not being given any special treatment by not being arrested, stating "On a simple battery with no injury, LAPD is not deviating from the norm on this one. Unless it's a domestic violence case, they're more likely not going to use resources on it, because if the victim is not going to pursue charges, then who are we protecting at this point?" Experts consulted by the Associated Press agreed that Smith would be unlikely to face charges at all, and if convicted, would receive only a minor penalty.

Analysis

Toxic masculinity or chivalry

Monica Hesse, author and columnist for The Washington Post, characterized the act of violence as a misguided attempt at chivalry. This analysis was echoed by writer Ateh Jewel, who characterized the violence as, "a chivalrous act loaded with toxic masculinity." Boston University communications professor Amy Shanler observed, "While Will Smith may perceive that his wife was the victim, as the target of Chris Rock's humor, what he actually did was reframe the entire situation to make Chris Rock the victim of his assault." Duke University James B. Duke Distinguished professor of African and African American Studies, Mark Anthony Neal, commented that the incident reflected upon societal values related to perceptions of race and African American masculinity in American media.

Monash University professor at the School of Education Culture and Society, Steven Roberts, further commented on the incident and also placed it within the larger context of toxic masculinity. Roberts concluded that the incident was, "another timely reminder that we need to invest in and promote forms of masculinity that are premised on democratic gender relations that centre on empathy and care." University of Southern California professor and executive director of the USC Race and Equity Center, Shaun Harper, further elaborated on the incident as an example of toxic masculinity. Harper emphasized, "Will Smith is 53 years old, which confirms that toxic masculinity is not about immaturity. It is not a thing that men naturally grow out of. Some of us embody aspects of it our entire lives. Understanding what it is and how it shows up in our attitudes and behaviors might just save us from inflicting harm on ourselves and others."

Violence of action

Harvard Medical School psychologist Anna Precht analyzed the situation, and posited how Will Smith would reflect upon the incident in a different setting: "in a cooler, calmer moment, he would acknowledge that a joke is not actually a threat." Booker Prize–winning author Bernardine Evaristo placed the incident within the larger context of African American winners of Academy Awards, and lamented that Will Smith chose violence instead of simply words to express himself. In a collaborative academic analysis of the incident, Monash University professors Steven Zech, Beatriz Gallo Cordoba, Lucas Walsh, Matteo Bonotti, concluded: "Violence (also a form of incivility) is unacceptable, but civility, and when and how to enact it, is complicated. Sometimes it may be better to be impolite and not smile, if we want to promote change."

Financial impact

Olin Business School at the Washington University in St. Louis professors Tim Solberg and Glenn MacDonald agreed that it was likely the incident would not have significant financial impact to the earnings power of either celebrity Will Smith or Chris Rock, but could have negative impact for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences organization. Solberg noted, "The Academy itself may suffer damage if it does not take action."With regards to the two celebrities involved, Solberg commented, "The two stars have their followings and the audience is segmented. They will probably not have a drop in earnings as a result. In that sense, their brand is not harmed financially." MacDonald agreed, observing, "In entertainment, they often say there is no such thing as bad publicity." Solberg noted there could be a financial impact to Smith if the major film studios took action: "While financially, the stars have their brand and their following, unless a studio boycotts or the public cancels Will Smith — a major box office star making money for the company — due to the public show of violence, he will maintain his financial draw even if his brand is tarnished." Rock did seem to financially benefit from the incident; his comedy tour sold out with one secondary ticket seller seeing a 641% increase in the days following, some tickets being auctioned off for more than $1,700.