Chris Rock came onto the stage at the 2022 Academy Awards and did what any comedian does.
He cracked a joke, this time targeting Jada Pinkett-Smith and her alopecia, making a G.I. Jane reference.
One second, Will Smith was laughing. The other second he was striding on stage towards Rock.
What happened then was unprecedented. On this global stage, Will Smith smacked Chris Rock for talking about his wife.
To say that Chris Rock was flustered is a given, and once the audience realized that this was no scripted joke, things became a bit tense.
Especially since Will Smith yelled, low and clear, telling Rock to keep his wife’s name out of “your f***ing mouth.”
Rock carried on with aplomb, although he was unnerved, and the next presenter, Sean Combs also tried to smooth things over.
But not only did Chris Rock defuse the situation onstage, he has also refused to file charges with the LAPD, against Will Smith, for what was an assault in front of millions of viewers.
There have been no official statements from Smith or Rock, although the LAPD has admitted that since no complaints have been filed, they are aware of the same.