Oscars 2022: 'It was a GI Jane joke' says Chris Rock after Will Smith slaps him on stage

In a never-before-seen incident, Will Smith smacked Chris Rock during the live ceremony of the 94th Oscars Academy Awards. 

While presenting an award, Chris Rock had joked about Will Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. This did not go down well with the actor, who got on to the stage and slapped Rock on the face. Smith also warned him to keep his wife's name "out of his f***** mouth."

'Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me': Chris Rock 

Chris Rock had poked fun about Jada Pinkett Smith saying that she looked like GI Jane 2. Rock’s joke referred to the popular 1997 film GI Jane, in which actor Demi Moore played the titular role with a buzzcut.

Chris asked Jada Smith to play the titular role, considering her baldness, which is due to a disease. Jada had publicly spoken about her condition, alopecia, which causes excessive hair fall. 

The joke did not go well with Smith, who got on stage and punched Chris Rock. 

The latter said, "Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me." 

Will then got down the stage and shouted to Rock, "Keep my wife out of your f****** mouth."

“Wow dude, it was a GI Jane joke," Chris replied.

"Keep my wife’s name out of your f***king mouth," Will repeated, and the crowd hushed as it became clear this was no act.

“I’m going to," Chris replied, adding, “That was the greatest night in television."

Will Smith slaps Chris Rock, apologises later

While the feud became the highlight of the ceremony, Smith apologised to the Academy for punching Rock moments before he won the Best Actor award for King Richard. Smith, however, did not mention Rock in his apology.

In his winning speech, Will Smith said, "I'm being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people... You got to be able to take abuse, you got to be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you got to be able to have people disrespecting you and you got to smile and you got to pretend like that's okay."

He further mentioned a brief chat with Denzel Washington, who told him to be careful at his highest moment as "that's when the devil comes for you."

The confrontation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars 2022 became the most talked-about incident within a few seconds. However, as per a statement filed by Los Angeles Police Department, Chris Rock has declined to file a report against Smith.