Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars

Source: Rob Latour/Shutterstock

Will Smith appears to slap Chris Rock at the Oscars

Will Smith appeared to hit Chris Rock on stage at last night’s Oscar ceremony.

Rock was presenting the Oscar for documentary feature, and joked that Smith’s wife with Jada Pinkett Smith “was in G.I. Jane 2” because of her shaved head (she suffers from alopecia).

Smith got up onto the stage and seemed to hit Rock, who said: “wow, Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me.” There was nervous laughter in the audience, before Smith shouted from his seat: “keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!”. Rock replied: “wow dude, it was a G.I. Jane joke”.

It was unclear, both to TV viewers and those in the auditorium, if the moment was scripted.

Smith later referenced the altercation during his acceptance speech after winning best actor for King Richard, saying: “I want to apologise to the Academy. I want to apologise to my all my fellow nominees. Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things.”

The Academy said in a statement after the ceremony: “The Academy does not condone violence of any form. 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.”

Rock has declined to press charges, according to the LAPD. They said in a statement to PA: “LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards programme.”

“The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report.

“If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.” 

Meanwhile, Oscars telecast producer Will Packer said on Twitter: ”Welp… I said it wouldn’t be boring.”

Uncensored footage of the incident can be viewed below.

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