Was Will Smith & Chris Rock's controversial moment at Oscars 2022 scripted? Read

Will Smith and Chris Rock's altercation at the Oscars 2022 was one of the biggest highlights of the recent ceremony, leaving netizens baffled by the chain of events. Will Smith's fury started when Rock, who was presenting an award, pointed to Will's wife Jada Pinkett Smith and joked about her shaved head with a G.I. Jane 2 comment. This led to the King Richard star stepping on the stage and slapping the comedian. The instance has led many to question if it was indeed unscripted, with several netizens theorizing it was a part of the show.  

Was Will Smith punching Chris Rock punching at Oscars 2022 scripted?

According to a report in The Guardian, as the live stream went into a quick break, Denzel Washington was seen taking Will Smith to the side for a conversation and was 'kneeling with his arm around Jada Pinkett Smith' when the show picked up after the commercial. While in the lobby, people were watching reruns of the incident on their mobile phones. A woman quipped, "I don’t think that’s a joke."

While others are still spinning their heads around the incident, contemplating if it was real or scripted, one could see Jada do an eye-roll as Chris Rock made the joke. It also infuriated Will, as Jada had recently spoken at length about her hair loss amid her battle with autoimmune disorder 'alopecia'. 

Shortly after the incident, Will was called upon to receive the Best Actor award for King Richard, wherein he issued an apology to the Academy and his fellow nominees during the award acceptance speech. He said, "I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I'm not crying for winning an award. It's not about winning an award for me. It's about being able to shine a light on all of the people."

He further continued, "Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams. Love will make you do crazy things." In concluding the speech, he also said," I hope the Academy invites me back."

Image: AP