A bizarre scene broke out during Sunday’s Academy Awards when Will Smith went on stage and appeared to strike Chris Rock while the comedian was presenting an award.
The altercation broke out after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, being in “G.I. Jane”, seemingly in reference to her bald head. Pinkett-Smith has spoken openly about her autoimmune disorder alopecia, which can cause hair loss and balding.
After Rock’s comment, Smith went up onto the stage and appeared to swing at the comedian. He then returned to his seat and yelled back in the direction of the stage at Rock, saying “keep my wife’s name out of your f—— mouth” twice.
The scene shocked those watching the awards ceremony, which included a number of high-profile figures from around the sports world. Athletes and media members alike took to social media to share their thoughts on the events of the evening.
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Smith went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena Williams, in “King Richard.” He apologized for his earlier actions when he accepted the award.
“I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to my fellow nominees,” Smith said during his acceptance speech. “This is a beautiful moment. I’m not crying for winning an award. It’s not about winning an award for me… Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father just like they said about Richard Williams. But, love will make you do crazy things.”
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