Oscars 2022: “Need Therapy” – How did Hollywood react to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock

Will Smith’s big night turned into something so huge and out-of-control that it shadowed even his own Best Actor win. Will, 53, slapped presenter Chris Rock on live international broadcast because of a joke, admittedly distasteful, that he made about Will’s wife Jada Pinkett. “Can’t wait for GI Jane 2,” Chris quipped, referring to Jada’s hair – she has a condition called alopecia which causes hair loss. The world watched in disbelief as Will Smith strode up to the Oscar stage, slapped Chris Rock and then yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth.”

“That wasn’t scripted?,” tweeted Trevor Noah, summing up everyone’s reaction.

” Will Smith owes Chris Rock a huge apology. There is no excuse for what he did. He’s lucky Chris is not filing assault charges. The excuses he made tonight were b******t,” tweeted filmmaker Rob Reiner.

“Will Smith says he wants to be a vessel for love. Love is not violent. Love is not what was displayed on a global stage tonight,” tweeted journalist Maria Shriver.

Actress Sophia Bush called Chris Rock out: “Violence isn’t ok. Assault is never the answer. Also? This is the 2nd time that Chris has made fun of Jada on the #Oscars stage, & tonight he went after her alopecia. Punching down at someone’s auto-immune disease is wrong. Doing so on purpose is cruel. They both need a breather.”