The Oscars have been doing a lot of fine-tuning to their broadcast in order to attract more interest and viewers. If only they could have foreseen how much interest they’d get when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage following a Jada Pinkett-Smith joke.
Everyone was stunned by the moment, including Serena Williams, who was there to see Smith later win Best Actor for his portrayal of her father in King Richard.
The viral moment occurred when Rock made a joke about Pinkett-Smith starring in G.I. Jane in reference to her hair. The actress has alopecia and has talked openly of her struggles with it. That’s perhaps why Smith walked onto the stage following the joke and seemingly smacked Rock right in the face.
Both of the Williams sisters were there for the ceremony. After the viral incident, Serena took to Instagram to film her reaction and she was basically just as shocked as you were.
Smith gave Richard Williams a shout-out in his acceptance speech.
“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” said Smith. “In this time in my life, I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world.”
There are going to be tons of thinkpieces and hot takes about the Smith-Rock incident on Monday. But in the meantime, Serena speaks (or is too stunned to speak) for all of us.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.