The main concerned of the most significant event ofHollywood at the end of March had time to digest the slap of Will Smith against comedian and presenter Chris Rock. In his last sketch, Chris Rock openly laughs at this slap, which he treats with humor and lightness.
Oscars 2022: Chris Rock returns to the slap
Did you miss the event that shook Hollywood throughout the month of April? During the 2022 Oscars ceremony, comedian and presenter Chris Rock made a bad joke about Will Smith’s wife’s alopecia (hair loss). Very angry, the latter goes on stage, slaps him, and yells at him to never joke about his wife again. There followed a terrible media war on the internet between the fans of each actor, between those believing that Will Smith went overboard for a simple joke, and those believing that he was right to make this gesture, because, after everything, you don’t joke about illnesses, and that it’s better to defend your wife. Throughout the month of April, various characters from the Hollywood community spoke out and sanctions fell on Will Smithas explained here.
It will soon be two months since this event ended. Currently on tour, comedian Chris Rock prefers to joke about it during his shows, including the event in the show it presents. During a stand-up at the Royal Albert Hall in London earlier in the week, Chris Rock made a brief joke about the incident before quickly informing the public that he had no plans to speak about the situation until to receive a special on Netflix:
I’m fine, if anyone was wondering. I regained most of my hearing. Don’t expect me to talk about this story. I’ll talk about it at some point…on Netflix. Your tickets were expensive, but not enough.
Will Smith: Tough Decisions
After this whole storm was over and the (many) sanctions against Will Smith fell, the actor decided to leave to recharge his batteries in India before reuniting with his wife in their home in the United States. The actor had apologized to the Academy of the Oscars in a long letter addressed to its leaders. In response, ASCAM accepted his resignation and excluded him from an Oscar ceremony for a period of 10 years. Here is what Will Smith said in his letter:
My actions at the 94th Academy Awards were shocking, painful and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all in attendance, and a global audience back home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived the other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. My heart is broken. I want to re-emphasize those who deserve recognition for their accomplishments and allow the Academy to look back on the incredible work it does to support creativity and the art of filmmaking. Therefore, I resign from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and I will accept any other consequences the board deems appropriate.. Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I will never again allow violence to take precedence over reason.
Many productions have decided to interrupt all collaboration with the actor until further notice, or at least until the story has time to digest a bit in order to avoid any boycotts. This is the case of Disney, which has already found a replacement for its next Live-Action film.