Oscars 2022: Twitter erupts after Will Smith SLAPS Chris Rock for joke about Jada Pinkett Smith

Will Smith left Oscar viewers stunned and speechless on Sunday night after he slapped Chris Rock following an off-color joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss, which is due to alopecia.

Hollywood stars quickly took to Twitter to call out Smith’s shocking attack, with comedian and director Judd Apatow calling the display ‘pure out of control rage and violence’ and claiming that Smith ‘could have killed’ Rock.

‘Seems like Will Smith’s plan to get comedian and the world to not make jokes about him is not going to pan out. The Williams family must be furious. Pure narcissism,’ he wrote.

Who saw that coming?! Hollywood stars spoke out against Will Smith on Sunday night after he slapped Chris Rock following an off-color joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss

‘Also — GI Jane was gorgeous. What exactly is insulting about being compared to a ripped, stunning Demi?’ he wrote, referencing the Ridley Scott–directed Demi Moore–starring film.

Apatow strongly rejected a Twitter user who said they ‘understood’ why Smith hit Rock because of Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia.

‘He could have killed him. That’s pure out of control rage and violence. They’ve heard a million jokes about them in the last three decades. They are not freshman in the world of Hollywood and comedy. He lost his mind,’ he wrote.  

Rock, 57, appeared to have set off Smith — who is nominated for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard — by joking that the Matrix Resurrections actress was preparing to star in a sequel to G.I. Jane, a reference to her bald head.

‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth,’ Smith shouted from the audience after returning to his seat near the stage.  

Off the rails: Rock, 57, appeared to have set off Smith — who was nominated for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard — by joking that the Matrix Resurrections actress was preparing to star in a sequel to G.I. Jane, a reference to her bald head

Not having it: Judd Apatow didn’t have much sympathy for Smith’s behavior

‘He could have killed him’: He strongly rejected a Twitter user who said they ‘understood’ why Smith hit Rock because of Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia

Kathy Griffin agreed with Apatow and called out Smith. 

She wasn’t having any of the rationalizations and defenses for his conduct, and she worried that his attack would embolden hecklers that regularly interrupt comedy shows.

‘Let me tell you something, it’s a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a Comedian. Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters.’

Will and Jada’s son Jaden Smith didn’t reference the slap in his Twitter post, but he didn’t speak out against it, tweeting, ‘And That’s How We Do It.’

Later, he included a photo of himself in a car wearing sunglasses and noted that his father’s acceptance speech made him emotional. 

‘My Dads Speech Made Me Cry,’ he wrote. 

Serena Williams, whose early years are documented in the inspiring drama, appeared to react to Smith attacking Rock in a short video posted to her Instagram Stories.

One brief clip showed her off the main floor with her moth hanging open and her eyes wide in shock.

‘I just sat down ’cause I was like, “I’ve gotta get a drink now,”‘ she said in a follow-up video posted from inside the theater, though she didn’t explicitly address the apparent assault.

Not helping: Kathy Griffin wasn’t having any of the rationalizations and defenses for Smith’s conduct, and she worried that his attack would embolden hecklers that regularly interrupt comedy shows

Family: Will and Jada’s son Jaden Smith didn’t reference the slap in his Twitter post, but he didn’t speak out against it, tweeting, ‘And That’s How We Do It.’

Tears: Later, he included a photo of himself in a car wearing sunglasses and noted that his father’s acceptance speech made him emotional

Shocker: Serena Williams appeared to react to Smith attacking Rock in a short video posted to her Instagram Stories. One brief clip showed her off the main floor with her moth hanging open and her eyes wide in shock

Needs a breather: ‘I just sat down ’cause I was like, “I’ve gotta get a drink now,”‘ she said in a follow-up video posted from inside the theater

Mandy Moore seemed to reference the attack with a tweet she reposted to her Instagram Stories, which appeared to urge viewers not to salute the actor’s ‘violence.’

‘Violence is never “proof of love,”‘ wrote Glennon Doyle. ‘That’s a deadly idea that has fueled and excused domestic (and all) violence for far too long. think hard about that take, please.’ 

She followed it up by reposting a second comment: ‘”Love will make you do some crazy things” is true toxic bulls*** and I hope no children watching this learn a thing from him.’

‘THIS,’ she added.

Wagging her finger: Mandy Moore seemed to reference the attack with a tweet she reposted to her Instagram Stories, which appeared to urge viewers not to salute the actor’s ‘violence’

Speaking out: She followed it up by reposting a second comment: ‘”Love will make you do some crazy things” is true toxic bulls*** and I hope no children watching this learn a thing from him’

Jodie Turner-Smith couldn’t get over her ‘second-hand embarrassment’ at the display.

‘And as far as *that incident* goes… . . i am still processing,’ she wrote. ‘I have second hand embarrassment for all involved.’

Jimmy Kimmel could be counted on to find a joke from the shocking event.

‘What was the vegas line on the fresh prince punching little penny in the face?’ he tweeted.

What a night! Will Smith later took home the Best Actor prize for playing Venus and Serena Williams’ father Richard Williams in King Richard

Can’t look: But Jodie Turner-Smith couldn’t get over her ‘second-hand embarrassment’ at the display

Having a laugh: Jimmy Kimmel could be counted on to find a joke from the shocking event. ‘What was the vegas line on the fresh prince punching little penny in the face?’ he tweeted

Some celebrities couldn’t believe that the slap happened live on national television.

‘Wtaf?????’ tweeted The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah. ‘That wasn’t scripted?????’ 

Conan O’Brien wrote, ‘Just saw the Will Smith slap. Anyone have a late night show i can borrow just for tomorrow?’   

Comedian Nikki Glaser appeared to allude to rumors about Will and Jada’s relationship by tweeting, ‘Open relationships seem healthy.’

Ron Funches, also a comic, defended Rock and said his joke was ‘harmless.’

‘That joke was harmless. Chris got caught up in the family drama,’ he tweeted.

‘Look, all I know is Katt Williams would’ve shot the whole place up if he got slapped,’ he added later. 

Hard to believe: Even the celebrities couldn’t believe that the slap happened live on national television. ‘Wtaf?????’ tweeted The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah. ‘That wasn’t scripted?????’

Bad timing: Conan O’Brien wrote, ‘Just saw the Will Smith slap. Anyone have a late night show i can borrow just for tomorrow?’

Yikes: Comedian Nikki Glaser appeared to allude to rumors about Will and Jada’s relationship by tweeting, ‘Open relationships seem healthy’

Sounding off: Ron Funches, also a comic, defended Rock and said his joke was ‘harmless.’ ‘That joke was harmless. Chris got caught up in the family drama,’ he tweeted

Going dark: He joked that comedian Katt Williams would have reacted much more poorly to the same slap

Maksim Chmerkovskiy understood Smith wanting to stand up for his wife, but she said there ‘were other ways to handle this.’

‘I gotta say…unless this was staged (it didn’t look like it) …there were other ways to handle this. My god This is WILD!!!! It ruined the rest of the show, and now the only thing people will remember about these Oscars is this altercation.

‘On the flip side, I am all for Will Smith standing up for his wife. I think the reason is VALID, however this was not it.’ 

D.L. Hughley referenced his recent feud with Kanye West in a series of tweets about the incident.

‘Wayment did #Ali just punch #Pookie??,’ he wrote, adding, ‘That’s some #IAmLegend fo yo A**.’

He continued, ‘Wow!! And I thought me and #Kanye had beef!

‘I bet the next #Oscars will be hosted by #TheRock not #ChrisRock,’ he wrote, before joking that the Russian invasion of Ukraine had gotten less publicity than the fight. 

Wrong approach: Maksim Chmerkovskiy understood Smith wanting to stand up for his wife, but she said there ‘were other ways to handle this’

Having a laugh: D.L. Hughley referenced his recent feud with Kanye West in a series of tweets about the incident.

The writer Saeed Jones joked that Jada’s talk show Red Table Talk might play a role in cleaning up the Oscars mess.

‘Stop the damn #Oscars broadcast and drag a red table onto the stage because we need to TALK,’ he tweeted. 

Abbott Elementary star Quinta Brunson joked: ‘What a very west Philly Oscars.’

Interruption: The writer Saeed Jones joked that Jada’s talk show Red Table Talk might play a role in cleaning up the Oscars mess

Fitting: Abbott Elementary star Quinta Brunson joked: ‘What a very west Philly Oscars’

OSCARS 2022: WINNERS

 BEST PICTURE 

Belfast (Focus Features)

Coda (Apple) – WINNER

Don’t Look Up (Netflix)

Drive My Car (Janus Films/Sideshow)

Dune (Warner Bros)

King Richard (Warner Bros)

Licorice Pizza (MGM/United Artists Releasing)

Nightmare Alley (Searchlight Pictures)

The Power Of The Dog (Netflix)

West Side Story  (20th Century Studios)

On the saddle: Power Of The Dog received several nominations including Best Picture

 

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE 

Jessie Buckley – The Lost Daughter 

Ariana DeBose – West Side Story – WINNER

Judi Dench – Belfast 

Kirsten Dunst- The Power Of The Dog

Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard 

  

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE 

Ciaran Hinds – Belfast 

Troy Kotsur – Coda – WINNER

Jesse Plemons – The Power Of The Dog

J.K Simmons – Being The Ricardos 

Kodi Smitt-McPhee – The Power Of The Dog

 

COSTUME DESIGN 

Cruella (Jenny Beavan) – WINNER

Cyrano (Massimo Cantini Parrini)

Dune (Jacqueline West)

Nightmare Alley (Luis Sequeira)

West Side Story (Paul Tazewell) 

 

Jumping for joy: West Side Story was nominated for Best Costume Design

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND 

Belfast 

Dune – WINNER

No Time To Die 

The Power Of The Dog 

West Side Story 

 

ORIGINAL SCORE

Don’t Look Up (Nicholas Britell)

Dune (Hans Zimmer) – WINNER

Encanto (Germaine Franco)

Parallel Mothers (Alberto Iglesias)

The Power of the Dog (Jonny Greenwood)

 

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

 CODA (Sian Heder) – WINNER

Drive My Car (Ryusuke Hamaguchi & Takamasa Oe)

Dune (Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts & Denis Villeneuve)

The Lost Daughter (Maggie Gyllenhaal)

The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion)

Loud and clear: Coda was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay

 

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

 Belfast (Kenneth Branagh) – WINNER

Don’t Look Up (Adam McKay & David Sirota)

Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson)

King Richard (Zach Baylin)

The Worst Person in the World (Joachim Trier & Eskil Vogt)

 

 

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Affairs Of The Heart 

Bestia 

Box Ballet 

Robin Robin 

The Windshield Wiper – WINNER

 

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM 

Ala Kachuu — Take and Run

The Dress

The Long Goodbye – WINNER

On My Mind

Please Hold

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM 

Drive My Car – WINNER

Flee

The Hand of God

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

The Worst Person in the World

 

PRODUCTION DESIGN

 Dune (Zsuzsanna Sipos & Patrice Vermette) – WINNER

Nightmare Alley (Tamara Deverell & Shane Vieau)

The Power of the Dog (Grant Major & Amber Richards)

The Tragedy of Macbeth (Stefan Dechant & Nancy Haigh)

West Side Story (Rena DeAngelo & Adam Stockhausen)

 ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE 

Javier Bardem – Being the Ricardos

Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog

Andrew Garfield – tick, tick… BOOM!

Will Smith – King Richard – WINNER

Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth

Ace? Will Smith is nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for King Richard

 

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye – WINNER

Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter

Penélope Cruz – Parallel Mothers

Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardos

Kristen Stewart – Spencer

 

DIRECTING 

Kenneth Branagh – Belfast

Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza

Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog – WINNER

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi – Drive My Car

Steven Spielberg – West Side Story  

At the helm: Jane Campion is nominated in the Best Director category for Power Of The Dog

 

FILM EDITING 

Don’t Look Up (Hank Corwin)

Dune (Joe Walker) – WINNER

King Richard (Pamela Martin)

The Power of the Dog (Peter Sciberras)

Tick, Tick… Boom! (Myron Kerstein & Andrew Weisblum)

 

 

MAKEUP AND HAIR STYLING

Coming 2 America 

Cruella 

Dune 

The Eyes Of Tammy Faye – WINNER

House Of Gucci

 

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM 

Encanto – WINNER

Flee 

Luca 

The Mitchells VS The Machine 

Raya And The Lost Dragon 

 

ORIGINAL SONG

Be Alive — Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Darius Scott (King Richard)

Dos Oruguitas — Lin-Manuel Miranda (Encanto)

Down to Joy — Van Morrison (Belfast)

No Time to Die — Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell (No Time to Die) – WINNER

Somehow You Do— Diane Warren (Four Good Days)

  

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

Audible

Lead Me Home

The Queen of Basketball – WINNER

Three Songs for Benazir

When We Were Bullies

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Ascension

Attica

Flee

Summer of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) – WINNER

Writing with Fire

 

VISUAL EFFECTS 

Dune – WINNER

Free Guy 

No Time To Die 

 Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings

Spider-Man: No Way Home 

Stunning: Dune earned nods in both the Best Visual Effects and Best Cinematography categories 

 

CINEMATOGRAPHY 

 Dune (Greig Fraser) – WINNER

Nightmare Alley (Dan Lausten)

The Power of the Dog (Ari Wegner)

The Tragedy of Macbeth (Bruno Delbonnel)

West Side Story (Janusz Kaminski)