Entertainment
Will Smith, Chris Rock slap: Questions remain
From a family-friendly rapper to a sitcom star on “The Contemporary Prince of Bel AIr” and later a field workplace large, Smith has constructed his profession on being likeable on display screen and off.
Which is without doubt one of the causes many initially hailed him for being his spouse’s “protector” when he hit Rock after the comedian and actor made a joke from the Oscars stage about Jada Pinkett Smith’s close-cropped hair.
“Jada I really like you, ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ cannot wait to see it,” Rock mentioned whereas presenting the award for greatest documentary.
Smith then walked on stage, struck Rock, walked again to his seat and yelled on the comedian to “Hold my spouse’s identify out of your f***ing mouth!”
Smith ought to be driving excessive after his win for greatest actor – which got here moments after the slap – for his position in “King Richard.”
However that has been each overshadowed by Smith’s actions that evening and will effectively trigger studios to second guess working with the actor, or on the very least delay deliberate initiatives.
Rock nonetheless hasn’t totally had his say
Three days after the controversial incident, Rock took to a special stage.
Throughout a comedy present for his “Ego Loss of life Tour” at Boston’s Wilbur Theater, he briefly addressed the slap.
“I haven’t got a bunch of s*** about what occurred, so for those who got here to listen to that, I had like a complete present I wrote earlier than this weekend,” Rock mentioned. “And I am nonetheless form of processing what occurred, so in some unspecified time in the future I will discuss that s***. And it will be critical and it will be humorous, however proper now I will inform some jokes.”
Many await listening to Rock’s ideas about not solely being struck by Smith, but additionally if he knew about Pinkett Smith’s medical situation and the aftermath of what has been deemed probably the most surprising moments within the historical past of the Academy Awards.
Others in Rock’s life have been extra vocal.
Academy sanctions
Days after the Oscars, the Academy of Movement Image Arts & Sciences introduced that it had “initiated disciplinary proceedings” towards Smith.
Whereas the actor has already resigned from the Academy, its president David Rubin mentioned in a press release Friday the group “will proceed to maneuver ahead with our disciplinary proceedings towards Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Requirements of Conduct, prematurely of our subsequent scheduled board assembly on April 18.”
These actions may embrace everlasting expulsion and anything deemed throughout the purview of the Academy’s bylaws and/or requirements of conduct.
CNN’s Chloe Melas and Brian Stelter contributed to this report.