The Academy responds to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock after GI Jane 2 joke at Oscars 2022

Well, things couldn't have been more happening for Will Smith at the Oscars last night. Though he bagged the award for Best Actor for his role in King Richard, he found himself in the middle of a controversial moment that the whole world witnessed.

Smith slapped Chris Rock after the latter cracked a joke on his wife, which the power couple didn't take in good spirits.

The Academy made its stand pretty clear on the incident. In a tweet, it stated that the institution would not entertain any violence. However, till now, no further steps have been taken on Will Smith for his misconduct on the big night.

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What made Will Smith slap Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards?

Behind the scenes

Will Smith has been married to Jada Pinkett Smith since 1997, and just like any other husband, he is protective of his better half. Jada suffers from alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that results in hair loss.

Chris Rock, who was probably not aware of this, cracked a joke at Jada's shaved head. The Smith couple exchanged a look, and disappointment and insult were written all over it.

The remark ignited the spark in Smith as he went to the stage and slapped Rock right across his face. There was also some exchange of heated words between them, censored on television.

Within an hour of this infamous incident, the former was again up on stage. However, this time, it was to collect his Oscar.

Though Will Smith did not directly address Chris Rock during his Oscars speech, he diplomatically spoke his heart out on the incident. Here is what he said.

"I know to be able to do what we do, you gotta be able to take abuse, you gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you gotta have people disrespecting you, and you gotta pretend that that's OK. At your highest moment, be careful. That's when the devil comes for you.''

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The night wasn't all bad for Will Smith

Now, if we look at the bright side, the Oscars 2022 was not all that bad for Smith. He won his maiden Academy Award for King Richard, where he played the role of Richard Williams, father to the legendary tennis players Venus and Serena Williams.

He noted during his acceptance speech:

"I want to say thank you to Venus and Serena and the entire Williams family for entrusting me with your story. That's what I want to do. I want to be an ambassador of that kind of care and love and concern."

The movie was released in 2021, winning over the hearts of audiences, especially those who take an interest in tennis.