Wanda Sykes is sharing her thoughts about the infamous slap that happened at the recently-concluded 2022 Oscars.
The highlight of the 94th Academy Award was when Will Smith walked on stage and slapped Chris Rock after a “G.I Jane 2” joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith wasn’t appreciated.
The controversial event has since spurred intense discussions about who was right and wrong, and now co-host Sykes is sharing her two cents and it seems she’s Team Rock!
Wanda Sykes Recalls The Infamous Oscars Slap
During an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” post the award ceremony, Sykes spoke about the incident when asked by host Ellen DeGeneres where she was when the slap went down and how the event took from her big night.
“I think we had finished the bit and I guess I was about to change to get into PJs. Regina and I, we had just introduced Chris from our bit, so I ran to my trailer because I wanted to watch him,” Sykes recalled.
She continued, “I was getting changed and watching him. Then the moment I went from my trailer — because I wanted to be in the house to watch — from that moment to when I got to the monitor backstage, I just saw Will leaving the stage and everything was quiet. I was like, ‘What happened? What happened?”
The “Black-ish” star explained she go confused when she saw Smith cussing from his seat but soon those around her filled her in on what happened, saying, “And then someone showed me on the video and said, ‘Yeah, he smacked Chris.”
‘The Upshaws’ Star Demands Will Smith Apologizes To The Hosts
Speaking on her thoughts on the incident, Sykes said, “And I just felt so awful for my friend Chris. It was sickening. I physically felt ill. I’m still a little traumatized by it. And for them to let him stay in that room and enjoy the rest of the show and accept his award, I was like, ‘How gross is this? This is just the wrong message.”
She continued, explaining her expectations that Smith would have been escorted out of the building after assaulting Rock. “For them to let him continue, I thought it was gross.”
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She then joked, “I wanted to be able to run out after he won and say, ‘Unfortunately Will couldn’t be here tonight.” Although Sykes admitted that Smith has since publicly apologized to Rock, she believes he still needs to apologize to the hosts ― her, Amy Schumer, and Regina Hall.
We were the hosts. This is our house, we’re inviting you in, we’re going to take care of y’all tonight and make sure you have a good time. And no one has apologized to us. And we worked really hard to put that show together. I’m like, with the industry itself, like, ‘What the hell is this?’
Sykes concluded, revealing that she eventually ran into Rock at an after-party and to her surprise, he apologized to her for ruining the night.
She recalled, “I said, ‘Why are you apologizing?’ And he said, ‘It was supposed to be your night, you and Amy and Regina, y’all were doing such a great job. I’m so sorry this is now going to be about this. That’s who Chris is.”
Amy Schumer Was ‘Triggered’ By The Slap
Sykes isn’t the only host who has spoken about the incident. As The Blast reported, Schumer also touched on the subject in an Instagram post.
While promoting her new Hulu show, “Life & Beth,” Schumer wrote she was “Still triggered and traumatized. I love my friend @chrisrock and believe he handled it like a pro. Stayed up there and gave an Oscar to his friend @questlove and the whole thing was so disturbing.”
She continued, “So much pain in @willsmith anyway I’m still in shock and stunned and sad. I’m proud of myself and my cohosts. But yeah. Waiting for this sickening feeling to go away from what we all witnessed.”
Fans camped underneath the post, praising Schumer for speaking up. Hall, the last co-host, is yet to address the slap.
