#WillSmith’s reaction at the #2022OscarAwards will make you quit joking with friends. On 28 March 2022, Will Smith took to the stage to confront #ChrisRock, who he slapped after making a joke aimed at Will’s wife, Jada Pinket Smith. According to Us Magazine, Chris Rock made a joke that vested on Jada’s medical condition, alopecia, diagnosed in May 2018. The joke made Will Smith angry, forcing him to walk to the podium and smack Chris. US Magazine gives a detailed explanation of when Jada first realized her alopecia illness. It states that she noticed a handful of hair while in the shower, sending chills over her due to the fear of becoming bald. In one of her Facebook Watch series, the Red Table Talk, Jada mentioned her condition, though not vividly since she had had challenges coping with the disease. During this series, Jada stated that she wore turbans to cover up her head, but as time went by, it became unbearable (Burke, 2022). The intolerance of turbans made Jada shave, forcing her to adopt a bald head appearance, which brought controversy at the 2022 Oscar Awards.
In July 2020, Jada confirmed that she had a romantic relationship with singer August Alsina while separated from her husband, Will Smith. While also in the Red Table Talk, which Smith had attended, Jada confessed to Smith that she thought they were indefinitely done and that she never anticipated them getting back together. Additionally, Jada claimed that she and Alsina had been friends for years. Their relationship was only meant to make Alsina have a healthy life as the singer had struggled with an autoimmune disease and mental health condition. According to NBC News, Will Smith’s reaction may have been motivated by the rampant talks about his alleged open relationship or the ‘entanglement’ between Jada and Alsina. During the Red Table Talk conversation, Will Smith probed Jada to open up further about what had been going on between her and Alsina, and it is at this point Will allowed Alsina to date his wife, Jada (Burke, 2022). Nevertheless, Jada quit this relationship and got back together with Will, continuing their marriage.
While things seemed to have gotten smooth for the Smiths, the entanglement rumours remained in people’s mouths, including celebrities such as pop artists and comedians, making the Smiths the daily topic. During the 2022 Oscars, Chris Rock induced Will with a joke about Jada’s baldness. Dailymail UK claimed that Will might have been triggered by the constant talks about his family, pushing him to perform unanticipated action. From the YouTube video, Will rose from his seat and majestically approached Chris when he smacked Chris’ face. He then returned to his place, from where he shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth” (Entertainment Tonight, 2022). However, Chris Rock was not shaken heavily by the slap as he went on seamlessly with the assigned role. Later in the event, Will Smith apologized to The Academy for the chaos he had caused, leaving out Chris in his apologies.
Will Smith’s reaction towards Chris Rock has created a lot of controversies surrounding who was wrong. Some celebrities, including Will Smith’s son, Jayden Smith, commented on Twitter, “And that’s how we do it,” showing that he supported his father’s actions. Conversely, other celebrities, such as Jim Carrey, claimed that Will Smith’s actions were sickening and that Chris Rock should file a case for the assault (Entertainment Tonight, 2022). Principally, the incident has left many people to wonder whether it is allowed to joke around with friends or not.
References
Burke, M. (2022). Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith confirm her relationship with August Alsina on ‘Red Table Talk’.
Entertainment Tonight. (2022). Will Smith SLAPS Chris Rock at Oscars 2022. [Video]. YouTube.