Celebrities React to Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars Altercation: ‘WTAF? That Wasn’t Scripted!?’
Celebrities took to social media to react to Will Smith's controversial night at the 2022 Academy Awards.
The King Richard actor landed what will likely go down in history as the defining viral moment of this year's Oscars when he rushed the stage and slapped Chris Rock across the face.
The altercation came after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head. Jada has alopecia, a medical condition that causes hair loss, which she has referenced openly on Instagram.
Will took to the stage shortly after Rock's joke, hauled back and smacked him in what appears to have been an unscripted moment.
"Keep my wife's name out your f---ing mouth," he could be heard shouting from his seat in the Dolby Theatre moments later. Although the audio was censored for the U.S. broadcast, it aired in other countries unedited.
Watch both the censored and uncensored footage below:
Shortly after the incident, Will returned to the stage to accept the Oscar for Best Actor.
He seemingly referenced turning the awards show into a fight club during an emotional acceptance speech. He also apologized to the Academy and others who were nominated but skirted directly referencing Rock.
This marked Will's first win at the Academy Awards.
Watch his tearful acceptance speech below:
Shortly after the Oscars concluded, the Academy took to Twitter to respond to the slap seen and heard 'round the world. The organization made it clear it does "not condone violence" and congratulated all of this year's winners.
The final list of winners did include Will, although the New York Post speculates he might lose his award after getting physical with Rock during the ceremony.
Read the Academy's full tweet below:
In the minutes and hours following Will's dramatic night, fellow celebrities weighed in on the altercation.
Jaden Smith, Will and Jada's son, seemingly took his father's side. "And That's How We Do It," he tweeted shortly after it all went down.
Nicki Minaj offered a more balanced critique of the situation. The Queen rapper pointed out that Rock likely didn't mean to cause undue harm, but she also recognized that Will was trying to defend his wife and her medical condition.
Cher, the undisputed queen of Twitter, revealed that she missed the lead-up to the slap and was still confused.
Others including Mia Farrow, Sophia Bush, Judd Apatow, The Chainsmokers and Trevor Noah had thoughts, too, while Liam Payne commented on the situation during a red carpet interview.
Meanwhile, Diddy told the New York Post that Rock and Will squashed any beef following the awards show.
Thus far, it does not appear either man directly involved has commented on the situation. However, TMZ reports that Rock is not pursuing charges with the police.
Scroll through these and more celebrity responses to Will Smith and Chris Rock's Oscars altercation below: