In a stunning moment during the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday, “King Richard” star Will Smith hit Chris Rock after the festive comedian made fun of actor’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
Before Smith accepted his Oscar for Best Actor for King Richard, he later apologized to the film academy and his fellow nominees as tears streamed down his face. But he did not address Rock and tried to justify what he had done.
“Art imitates life. I look like a crazy dad, just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things,” Smith said, also being recognized for his role as Richard Williams, father of tennis greats Venus and Serena. .
The encounter between Smith and Rock caused a stunned audience inside the Dolby Theatre.
Rock, who presented the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, said he was excited to see Pinkett Smith in “GI Jane 2”.
In 2018, Pinkett Smith revealed that she has alopecia areata, a condition that causes hair loss. Ridley Scott’s action movie J.I. Jane (1997) starred Demi Moore as a woman who joins the Navy and shaves her head during her military service.
Smith then walked onto stage at the Dolby Theater and hit rock music. Then the sound cut out on the US broadcast, but Smith seemed to be shouting the words: “Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth!”
In his acceptance speech, Smith appeared to compare the incident to Richard Williams’ fiery spirit.
“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” Smith said in his tearful speech.
He said he got a chance to “protect” his co-stars in “King Richard”.
With tears streaming down his face, he said, “I am called in my life to love people, protect people, and be a river for my people.”
He said that in the entertainment industry, performers are forced to “abuse” because “people talk crazy about you.”
“I want to be a vessel for love,” Smith said.
The unusual moment sparked a frenzy of debates on social media, as the moment was extensively dissected. In the aftermath of the incident, many tweeted that it was strange that the show’s producers had come forward with the show.
Journalists in the room covering the party chirp that after the accident, Smith was contacted by an advertising agent as well as fellow artists Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry.
After the show ended, the Los Angeles Police Department said they were aware of the incident and Rock refused to file a police report.
“If the interested party wishes to obtain a police report at a later time, the Los Angeles Police Department will be available to complete the investigation report,” the department said in a statement.
In a tweet sent out at 1:10 a.m. ET, the Film Academy said it “does not condone violence in any way.”
In this year’s Best Actor race, Smith faced Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”), Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”), Andrew Garfield (“Tick, Tick… Boom!”) and Washington (” The Tragedy of Macbeth”).
Smith has received largely positive reviews for his portrayal of Richard Williams, who propelled his talented daughters to athletic greatness as a coach and one-man PR machine.
The actor’s victory on Sunday night marks a milestone in the career of one of Hollywood’s highest-grossing stars of the past 30 years.
Smith, who started his career as a hip-hop presenter and star of the sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” on NBC, rose to stardom in the ’90s with hits like “Bad Boys”, “Independence Day” and “Men in Black.” “
In the years since, Smith has struck a balance between blockbuster films and roles in dramas that flirt with the Oscars.
He was nominated for “Ali” in 2002, the year Washington became the second black man to win Best Actor for “Training Day.” He was honored five years later for The Pursuit of Happiness but lost to Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland.
Dennis Romero Contributed.
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