Will Smith has proven that he truly is a bad boy after his violent Oscar slap attack against comedian Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards Sunday night.
It was a shocking moment in television history and one that very few people will quickly forget. I’m still in total disbelief at the number of people siding with Will Smith who assaulted Rock.
Rock, who has hosted the prestigious award show in previous years, and was presenting during the ceremony, poked fun at Smith’s wife, actress Jada Pinkett-Smith’s bald head.
“Jada, I love ya. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see ya,” Rock said, referring to the 1997 film featuring Demi Moore in which she famously balds her head.
The joke strikes a nerve because Pinkett-Smith suffers from alopecia and has spoken openly about how hard her journey has been with the autoimmune disease.
At first, Smith, 53, appeared to be laughing at the joke. His wife, on the other hand was not amused. She immediately rolled her eyes and appeared to be very uncomfortable. Seconds later, Smith, who was up for the Academy Award for Best Actor, walked on stage and slapped Rock, 57, across the face, shocking audiences in the Dolby Theatre and at home.
“Oh, wow,” said Rock. Will Smith just smacked the s—t out of me.” Rock was clearly shocked by his actions, but maintained his professionalism even after Smith returned to his seat and warned the comedian to keep his wife’s name out of his mouth. Of course, his version was filled with expletives.
Will Smith Ruined His Own Moment
Smith’s actions were detestable, unprofessional and totally uncalled for. I feel like the Fresh Prince star has been carrying a lot of emotional baggage lately and I truly believe he is hurting deep down inside. But, that does not give him an excuse to physically assault someone.
Smith eventually went on to win his first Academy Award, a major moment given that he had been snubbed in previous years. But, what is everyone talking about today? His attack on Rock, not his major achievement.
I think the Bad Boy star will look back on this moment and regret it immensely because Rock did not deserve to be assaulted.
To make matters worse, while accepting his award, Smith went on to justify his actions by conflating what he did to Rock, somehow managing to liken it to Richard Williams’ actions to protect and defend his tennis star daughters, Venus and Serena Williams.
He then apologises to the Academy and his peers, but not to the person he assaulted. What??! #Bruh
Rock is a comedian, and a damned good one at that. But, he really showed audiences that he is the consummate professional by demonstrating incredible control during a difficult, embarrassing and hurtful moment. He was physically assaulted, and I don’t think that fact is getting sufficient attention.
Comedians tell jokes, sometimes they’re funny and other times they’re hurtful. Considering the types of conversations and criticism the Smiths have dealt with since they went public with their open relationship, Rock’s comments were mild.
I felt like Will became a bully in that moment. He has had a somewhat impeccable career his entire life. But, his actions Sunday night will be a blight on his squeaky clean image.
My question is, what happened in the moments between Smith’s laughter during the joke and his storming the stage? I’ll tell you what happened. He saw his wife’s reaction.
Smith has always appeared to be the type of man who desperately wants his wife’s approval, to a fault. He has mentioned feeling inadequate before, and maybe that manifested last night.
Smith Witnessed A Violent Upbringing
Smith, who is originally from Philadelphia, has said repeatedly that he grew up in a home where there was violence. He has been very open with the fact that his late father, physically abused his mother and he has said that those acts have affected him.
One would think that he would be more in control of his emotions given that fact.
His actions at the Oscar’s also reminds me of some of the negative things his former costar, Janet Hubert said in her interviews years ago. This was before she and Smith buried the hatchet nearly two years ago. I explained it all in my YouTube video.
The Smiths Have Been Under Fire For Years
The Smiths have also been heavily criticised in recent years for their untraditional marriage and parenting styles. Last year, Jada admitted on her Red Table Talk show to having “an entanglement” with singer, August Alsina while she was still married to Will.
Following that interview, Hollywood, blogs and social media outlets had a field day with the news, with many criticising Will of being weak and many people described Jada in the most obscene way.
I certainly understand that the Smiths are human and there is only so much one person can take. But, I think it would have served Smith better in the long run to have just walked away.
The Academy has condemned the assault, but it has not done so in a sufficiently strong way. A message needs to be sent that that type of behaviour is not accepted. Many online have suggested that Smith be stripped of his Oscar. I don’t know if the moment warrants such action, but perhaps it’s worth considering. At the very least he should be banned from attending next year’s ceremony.
So far, Rock has no plans to press charges. We’ll see how things turn out. In the meantime, be sure to check out my YouTube video below where I address this issue in depth.
XOXO,
This Bahamian Gyal
