Academy Adds Oscars "Crisis Team" After Will Smith Slap

Just erstwhile you thought it was harmless to deliberation astir the upcoming 2023 Oscars and not deliberation astir Will Smith slapping Chris Rock last year...

Kidding.

Aside from, maybe, this year's nominees, nary 1 isn't reasoning astir it. Host Jimmy Kimmel has been asked what he'll do if thing comparable happens at the March 12 ceremony, and helium told The Hollywood Reporter it would beryllium "ridiculous not to notation it."

Because arsenic Rock himself just reminded in his live March 4 Netflix standup special Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, that s--t inactive stings.

But even though Rock devoting the past 10 minutes of his amusement to the Smith play (which besides inspired the title) mightiness bespeak immoderate hard feelings, it was the Oscars that needed each 2nd of this past twelvemonth to heal.

The 2022 Oscars were much than halfway implicit erstwhile Rock took the signifier to contiguous the victor of Best Documentary (shout-out again to winner Questlove, a antheral who was denied the afloat spotlight).

But portion Smith was amiably chuckling, you could spot the grin descent close disconnected of Pinkett Smith's face. Noticing that her oculus rotation had turned into a astir unamused-looking expression, Rock offered, "That was a bully one, okay?"

He was moving connected erstwhile helium realized Smith was striding toward the stage, hardly 10 seconds aft the King Richard star had looked perfectly fine.

"Uh-oh," Rock noted with a smile.

And then...slap.

At archetypal it seemed arsenic if that had to beryllium a bit—it was the explanation of a "wait, what?" moment—but we each present cognize it wasn't.

"Oh, wow! Wow. Will Smith conscionable smacked the s--t out of me," Rock said as Smith walked away, inactive not looking altogether furious. Rather, helium had benignant of a pleased, that's-what-happens-when-you-mess-with-my-woman benignant of look connected his face. Almost a grin.

"And That's How We Do It," lad Jaden Smith tweeted, condoning his dad's actions from afar. (He'd join his full family later that nighttime astatine the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, wherever people deftly partied on, conscionable arsenic if 1 of the guests of grant wasn't astir to beryllium banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years. Rock chose to unwind inside the Gucci party at Guy Oseary's house.)

But backmost successful the country wherever it happened, Smith returned to his spot and, looking much distressed, yelled astatine Rock, "Keep my wife's name out of your f--king mouth!"

To which Rock replied, "Wow, dude, it was a G.I. Jane joke." Smith reiterated, "Yes, support my wife's sanction retired of your f--king mouth!"

Rock was visibly flustered by then, but helium rebounded, quipping, "That was the top nighttime successful the past of television, okay!"

Oscar officials shared that The Slap wasn't planned. (The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirmed that it doesn't condone violence aboriginal the pursuing greeting successful a tweet. Last month, CEO Bill Kramer said a situation squad would beryllium astatine the ready this year, JIC.)

Attendees including Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry spoke with Smith during the commercialized break, portion respective stars hugged Pinkett Smith, who's been unfastened astir her ongoing conflict with alopecia. And past it became evident that the amusement was conscionable going spell on, they weren't going to transverse retired Smith's sanction and constitute successful "Benedict Cumberbatch" oregon anything. 

Meaning, little than a fractional hr aft helium smacked Rock, Smith was backmost onstage accepting his Oscar for Best Actor. He apologized to the Academy (he'd resign from the organization a fewer days later) and his chap nominees for his behavior.

Smith addressed an apology to Rock specifically the adjacent day, penning connected Instagram, "I was retired of enactment and I was wrong. I americium embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the antheral I privation to be. There is nary spot for unit successful a satellite of emotion and kindness."

The actor continued to chalk up what helium admitted was "unacceptable" behaviour to being pushed to the bounds and overreacting to his woman being disrespected, saying successful his code and successful his connection to Rock that he knew amended than to get bent retired of signifier implicit a joke.

Rock, however, had a twelvemonth to enactment it out, and helium yet called b.s. connected what could beryllium interpreted arsenic Smith taking his issues retired on him.

"Will Smith practices selective outrage. Everybody cognize what the f--k happened," Rock suggested on his Netflix special. "Everybody that truly knows, knows I had thing to bash with that s--t. I didn't person immoderate 'entanglements.' His woman was f--king her son's friend."

Referring to Pinkett Smith sharing successful 2020 that she'd had an extramarital "entanglement" portion she and Smith were concisely separated, Rock continued, "Everybody successful the satellite called him a bitch. I tried to telephone the mother--ker and springiness him my condolences, helium didn't prime up for me...And who's helium hit? Me, a n---- helium knows helium tin beat. That is immoderate bitch-a-- s--t."

Etc.

The Smiths person not commented connected that portion of Rock's act.

But scroll connected to spot the visceral, in-the-moment reactions celebs had to Smith slapping Rock, erstwhile discourse was beside the point: