The 2022 Oscars officially have their signature moment, and it isn’t a Best Picture win or a poignant tribute: it’s a slap in the face. Literally. Before presenting Best Documentary, Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith being bald, prompting her husband, Will Smith, to come on stage and hit him.
“Will Smith just smacked the shit outta me,” a dazed Rock said.
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Presenters at the show made several jokes at Smith’s expense all night, including Regina Hall, who poked fun at Smith’s open marriage during an earlier segment. Rock’s comment, which compared Pinkett Smith to G.I. Jane, prompted the physical response from Smith and caused the broadcast to go on mute for several seconds.
“Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth,” Smith roared twice from his seat. Rock, for his part, continued on with presenting the award.
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Pinkett Smith’s shaved head is the result of her experience with alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss. She’s been candid about her experience with it, writing on Instagram in December, “Mama’s gonna have to take it down to the scalp so nobody thinks she got brain surgery or something. Me and this alopecia are going to be friends, period!”
A still clearly stunned Diddy took the stage immediately after the slap to introduce a celebration of The Godfather, and played off the incident as best he could.
“I did not know that this was gonna be the most exciting Oscar’s ever,” he said, the camera panning to a cackling Smith. “Will and Chris, we’re gonna solve that like family at the Gold Party. Right now we’re moving on with love.” The Gold Party is Jay-Z and Beyonce’s Oscars after party, which all parties involved were likely set to attend.
Following the incident, Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry pulled a visibly emotional Smith aside and offered him comfort. Washington also spoke to Pinkett Smith, too.
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This wasn’t the first Oscars dig Rock had made at Will and Jada. In 2016, Rock made fun of Pinkett Smith’s decision to boycott the award show due to its lack of diversity. “Jada's gonna boycott the Oscars? Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna's panties. I wasn't invited!" he said.