As the debacle between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the 94th annual Academy Awards continues to gather heat, celebrities have been giving their take on the incident.
At the ceremony, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” actor took to the stage where Rock was hosting and slapped him over his comments about Jada’s hair.
Liam Payne, who was also present at the event held at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre and Highland Centre, gave his thoughts on the incident.
Liam Payne Focuses On The Positive Amid 2022 Oscar’s Fiasco
Payne recently got candid about his thoughts on Smith’s actions at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, in a clip uploaded by Pop Crave.
Rock had made an expensive joke on stage about Jada’s hair loss which resulted from her ongoing battle with alopecia.
Payne said in an interview with Good Morning Britain, “I believe whatever he [Will] felt that he did, he had the right to do.”
The “One Direction” alum also felt that the “King Richard” actor, his wife, and the host all suffered from the incident, adding that there were three losers in the fight.
The “Ron’s Gone Wrong” actor continued that Will, who apologized for his actions during his awards speech for Best Actor, made up for his efforts with his emotional delivery. He said:
“It’s a very sad thing, but there was a powerful moment for me to sit and watch one of the world’s best emoters speak from the heart, and I would rather take away the beauty from the situation than take the pain.”
Despite that, Payne admitted that the moment had him leaving his seat at the ceremony and also deeply cut him.
The Blast disclosed that many celebrities are divided on Will’s actions at the ceremony. Stars, including 50 Cent, completely support his actions.
The rapper has been decorating his social media with memes from the memorable night that paint the “Aladdin” actor as the hero of the day and his estranged friend as the loser.
Liam Payne gives his opinion on Will Smith slapping Chris Rock on stage at the #Oscars for making a joke about his wife:
“I believe whatever he felt that he did, he had the right to do.” pic.twitter.com/dfoSaxLw6n
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) March 28, 2022
In one of such posts on Instagram, 50 Cent uploaded a picture of Will accepting his award for Best Actor in a Male Leading Role category, writing:
“You have to win Oscars to do this kinda sh*t. After i win, I’m gonna slap the sh*t out of a few people. LOL.”
Sophia Bush called out both Will and Rock for being in the wrong over their actions in a Twitter post writing:
“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.”
The “King Richard” Actor May Lose Oscar For Violent Behavior At Ceremony
Smith’s Best Actor In a Leading Role win at Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony is his first-ever after years of nominations, but he stands to lose it all over his actions.
The Blast disclosed that Will may have breached the Oscars code of conduct after slapping Rock on stage and sowing the seeds of unexpected complications.
According to the New York Post, the “I am Legend” actor broke the Academy’s code of conduct before he was officially announced a winner, but this could still have dire effects on him.
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An insider told the outlet that what Will did was “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 Academy released its code of conduct in 2017 when multiple sexual misconduct scandals began rocking the Hollywood sphere.
These rules emphasize the importance of “upholding the Academy’s values like inclusion, fostering supportive environments, and “respect for human dignity.”
Variety released CEO Dawn Hudson’s statement to the Academy members on the exclusivity of their membership, calling it a privilege for only a select few within the global community of filmmakers. She continued:
“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. “
Hudson buttressed that there is no place in the Academy for people to misuse their status, power, or influence to violate recognized standards of decency. She concluded:
“The Academy is categorically opposed to any form of abuse, harassment or discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability, age, religion, or nationality.”
