Why did Will Smith smack Chris Rock? See the reaction to the shocking Oscars moment

Will Smith had the moment to remember during the Academy Awards on Sunday, March 27 — and it wasn’t because he won his first-ever Oscar award.

Shortly before Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role, an on-stage moment with Chris Rock became the award show’s most buzzworthy scene.

Here’s a look at what happened during and after the shocking moment at the Oscars.

What happened with Chris Rock and Will Smith?

Rock was on stage handing out the award for Best Documentary when he made a quip toward Jada Pinkett Smith.

“Jada, I love you. ‘GI Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see you,” Rock told Pinkett Smith, who has a shaved head.

Smith initially laughed at the joke, while Pinkett Smith appeared uncomfortable.

The camera then cut to Smith walking on stage, approaching Rock and striking him in the face. Smith then walked back to his seat.

The American broadcast of the award show censored part of the exchange between Rock and Smith, but international versions caught more of the heated moment.

“Will Smith just smacked the --- out of me,” Rock said.

“Keep my wife’s name out your ------- mouth,” Smith replied back as the audience — and viewers — quickly realized the smack was not staged.

Why does Jada Pinkett Smith have a shaved head?

The exchange happened following the joke referencing “GI Jane,” a 1997 movie starring Demi Moore, who had a shaved head for the role.

Pinkett Smith revealed in 2018 she has alopecia, a disorder that causes your hair to fall out.

“It was one of those times in my life where I was literally shaking with fear. That’s a really scary experience,” she said in 2018 of when she noticed she was losing handfuls of hair in the shower. “That’s why I cut my hair and continued to cut it.”

She shared a video on Instagram last year revealing more information about her struggle.

“Mama’s gonna have to take it down to the scalp so nobody thinks she got brain surgery or something,” she said. “Me and this alopecia are going to be friends … period!”

Has Will Smith apologized?

While accepting his award during the Oscars, Smith apologized for the earlier moment. He emphasized that he “protects” the ones he loved, similar to Richard Williams.

“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” Smith said of the father of Venus and Serena Williams, whom he portrayed in “King Richard.”

“In this time in my life, in this moment, I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world,” a tearful Smith said. “I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees.”

Could Will Smith face charges or lose his award?

Rock was visibly shaken after Smith smacked him, but he has chosen not to press charges, NBC News reported.

“The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.

It’s unclear if Smith could lose his award, but the Academy has a code of conduct it released in 2017 following multiple sexual assault allegations against members of the acting community.

“In addition to achieving excellence in the field of motion picture arts and sciences, members must also behave ethically by upholding the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity, inclusion and a supportive environment that fosters creativity,” the code of conduct states.

Hollywood weighs in on the Oscar moment

Many celebrities weighed in, including Jaden Smith, the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.

“That’s how we do it,” Jaden Smith said in a tweet.

Comedians Kathy Griffin and Tiffany Haddish had varying opinions on Smith smacking Rock.

“Maybe the world might not like how it went down, but for me, it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen because it made me believe that there are still men out there that love and care about their women, their wives,” Haddish told People.

“It’s very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a comedian,” Griffin said in a tweet. “Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters.”

Other celebrities, including Conan O’Brien, Cardi B and Trevor Noah also reacted to the confrontation.

This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 8:34 AM with the headline "Why did Will Smith smack Chris Rock? See the reaction to the shocking Oscars moment."