Smith may lose his long-awaited Oscar! Smith assaults Chris Rock after joke about wife Pinkett-Smith.
Three-time Oscar nominee, Smith finally snagged the golden statue for his portrayal of “King Richard.” The actor was awarded for his portrayal of Serena and Venus Williams’ father. However, he may have to return the statue after his on-stage assault of comedian Chris Rock. The incident has since gone viral.
Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith being the next G.I.Jane due to her bald head. The actress had reported previously to be struggling with alopecia, a condition that leads to hair loss.
After the slap, the telecast went silent. Everyone was left wondering if the segment was scripted. The reality set in when Smith was seen yelling and cursing at Rock from his seat, demanding the comedian to keep his wife’s name out of his mouth.
Smith, Pinkett and Rock have history
Rock had previously made fun of Will and Jada back in 2016 when Pinkett boycotted the Oscars for lack of diversity. That year, the Academy also did not nominated Smith for his work on “Concussion.”
The couple clearly did not take it well and their lingering resentment boiled over last night. Would the history steer the current backlash against Smith and Pinkett in Smith’s favor? Will it help him keep his Oscar after all?
Strict Academy Code of Conduct
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has strict guidelines which may disqualify Smith and ban him from attending future shows to prevent this type of behavior from happening again.
One highly placed Hollywood source told The Post after the incident: “It’s basically assault. Everyone was just so shocked in the room, it was so uncomfortable.”
“I think Will would not want to give his Oscar back, but who knows what will happen now,” the insider said. Whether or not Will Smith could lose Oscar is yet to be seen.
What Academy said about Incident
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released a cryptic statement that minimally addressed the assault and shifted the focus on the winners. One could assume they will be deliberating in the next day or two on the legal and moral next steps.
“The Academy does not condone violence of any form,” the statement read. “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.”
“Academy membership is a privilege offered to only a select few within the global community of filmmakers. In addition to achieving excellence in the field of motion picture arts and sciences, members must also behave ethically by upholding the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity, inclusion, and a supportive environment that fosters creativity,” AMPAS CEO Dawn Hudson wrote to members at the time.
Twitter posts have pointed out that the Academy has strict guidelines in its code of conduct against “basically assault”, and many believe that Will Smith could lose Oscar and be asked to hand over his award.
What does Academy Code of Conduct Say?
After the 2017 #metoo movement and the overwhelming sexual misconduct scandals that took over the industry, the Academy released a code of conduct which emphasized the importance of “upholding the Academy’s values,” including “respect for human dignity.”
AMPAS CEO Dawn Hudson wrote back then, “In addition to achieving excellence in the field of motion picture arts and sciences, members must also behave ethically by upholding the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity, inclusion, and a supportive environment that fosters creativity.”
Denzel’s Words of Wisdom to Will
During his acceptance speech, Will Smith shared that Denzel Washington told him that ‘At your highest moment, be careful. That’s when the devil comes for you.”
Washington was seen stoically watching Smith give his acceptance speech.
Smith said “He knew me years ago, I would go to Denzel for advice so he’s seen me through the years and he was just telling me how proud he is of who I’ve become and what I’ve become,” the “Wild Wild West” star added. “He was saying that he felt like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders somehow.”
After the shocking act of violence, other actors like Tyler Perry and Bradley Cooper were seen giving comfort to Smith and telling him to “brush it off.”
Will continued to wipe tears from his eyes as he returned to his seat next to Jada Pinkett-Smith.
Smith offers an apology
During his Acceptance speech, Smith said “I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees,” Smith said. “This is a beautiful moment.” He did not, however, apologize to Chris Rock.
“Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things,” he said in a tear-filled speech. He did not offer a direct apology to Rock.
Celebrities React
“It was crazy,” actor LaKeith Stanfield told Variety at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party following the awards show. “I don’t know, it was surreal.”
“It hard to watch” the altercation unfold. “We were all privy to something that was emotions running really high,” she said, adding that she hoped “they will make up later.”
“Violence isn’t ok. Assault is never the answer,” actress and director Sophia Bush tweeted. However, she also expressed criticisms of Rock’s joke, noting: “This is the second time that Chris has made fun of Jada on the Oscars stage, and 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,” she said.
Actor Mia Farrow defended Rock’s remarks, however, tweeting: “It was just a joke.”
“Jokes are what Chris Rock does. Always has been edgy. This was a mild joke for him. And I love GI Jane,” Farrow said.
NBA star Stephen Curry, who served as an executive producer of “Queen of Basketball,” the short that won the award for best documentary, said he was “shocked about the whole thing.”
“But in all the unnecessary drama, at least we got the line of the night from Denzel,” he said, referring to words of wisdom Smith said actor Denzel Washington had offered him before his Oscar win: “At your highest moment, be careful. That’s when the devil comes for you.”
Actor and model Jodie Turner-Smith said she was still “processing” the incident, writing: “I have second hand embarrassment for all involved.”
In Conclusion
Whether or not Will Smith could lose Oscar is yet to be seen.
Will Smith is loved by many and he has made a mark in the industry by working hard and creating memorable characters on the silver screen. It is undeniable that he deserves the Oscar for his incredible work as the strong-willed Richard Williams, however, his behavior during the show may cost him the award.the Academy may reprimand him for his violent behavior during the show.
