Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Oscars: What Will Smith's slap says about him - and us

Oscars: What Will Smith's slap says about him - and us

Almost four decades ago it was "one little fight" that landed the Fresh Prince in trouble and saw the fictional Will moving to live with his auntie and uncle in Bel Air.

That scripted altercation on a basketball court launched the teenager's career as a comedian and actor - but now it's a real-life bust-up that could derail the life of an undisputed Hollywood superstar.

After Oscars presenter Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's hair loss, Smith, her husband, leapt to the stage and gave the comedian a slap that was heard around the world.

But the tactless joke, Smith's violent reaction, and the fact that the award show continued without consequence, also sparked furious debate about what it means to "protect women", and American culture's apparent comfort with violence.

'The vibe had changed'


In a vain attempt to lighten the mood after a commercial break, comedian Amy Schumer joked that "the vibe had changed" and seemed to acknowledge that Rock wasn't the only one reeling.

Jada Pinkett Smith shaved her head to deal with alopecia


Some joked Smith took method acting seriously and was channelling his hothead Bad Boys character Mike Lowrey. But others found the altercation alarming.

In a since-deleted tweet, director Judd Apatow said Smith "could have killed" Chris Rock and that Smith had "lost his mind". There were even calls for the actor to be arrested and charged with assault.


But actress Tiffany Haddish spoke for many when she praised Smith for defending his wife.

"Maybe the world might not like how it went down, but for me, it was the most beautiful thing I ever seen," she told People Magazine. Haddish, who co-starred with Pinkett Smith in the film Girls Trip, said black women are often the subject of jokes and ridicule, so seeing a black man stand up for his wife "meant so much to me".

Many black Americans noted the irony in the fact that Chris Rock produced the documentary Good Hair about how important hair is in black culture, only to joke about Pinkett Smith's chosen hairstyle. Pinkett Smith is one of many women who have recently gone public about their fight with alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss and affects many black women.

'Art imitates life'


While accepting his first-ever Oscar, for the role of Richard Williams in the film King Richard, later in the night, Smith tearfully apologised to the Academy for the altercation. Although he initially declined to extend that apology to Rock.

"I'm being called on in my life to love people and to protect people," Smith said. "Art imitates life."

He went on to dedicate the award to his mother and acknowledged that "a lot of this moment is really complicated for me".

That line stood out to radio host Lenard McKelvey, professionally known as Charlamagne tha God. On his popular radio show, The Breakfast Club, McKelvey said he thought Chris Rock's joke was only a small part of why Smith lashed out.

"I don't know what the 'why' is but for Will to react like that, there's something deeper going on inside him that we don't know about," he said.

Smith has been candid about growing up in a home plagued by domestic violence. The first chapter of his autobiography, Will, opens with a harrowing description of his father attacking his mother and the actor writes that the incident defined his childhood, and ultimately led to his career.

"Within everything that I have done since then... there's been a subtle string of apologies to my mother for my inaction that day," Smith writes. "No matter how successful I've become … there is that subtle and silent feeling always pulsating in the back of my mind: that I am a coward."

'We live in a time of violence'


Psychologist and minister, Rev Dr Jacqui Lewis, who has read Smith's book but has not treated the actor personally, said she wishes Smith was able to turn to another way to protect his family.

"Something happened where he did not live the 'Will' he wants to live; that can happen to any of us," she said. "He doesn't want to be the person who slaps somebody around like his dad slapped somebody around, but yet that's what happened last night."

The altercation between Smith and Rock broke through the veneer of perfection that often exists around celebrities, but Lewis said we should use it as a moment to interrogate how normalised violence has become in our culture.


"We live in a time of violence: verbal, physical, emotional, territorial, political discourse and humour that's violent. Chris Rock was violent, too," she said. "This is all connected, and could we be stunned enough by this to be stunned by all the ways it happens everywhere?

"Do we want violence to be the response to violence? I don't."

'Poisonous and destructive'


In a lengthy statement posted to Instagram on Monday evening, Smith apologised for behaviour he described as "unacceptable and inexcusable", stating: "I am a work in progress."

"Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive," the actor wrote. "I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness."

The actor also apologised directly to Chris Rock writing: "I was out of line and I was wrong."

Many online, including McKelvey, praised Rock for quite literally taking it on the chin and staying composed enough to continue the ceremony.

Chris Rock, centre, with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith in 2005


"I care about Chris Rock and Will Smith, two legends. Two Gods. I don't like seeing that between two black men, personally," he said. "We all laugh but that's still another human on the other end of that slap."

Smith and Rock are both comedians, and as the saying goes, the best jokes punch up not down. The Academy says it has now opened an investigation into the altercation and Smith.

If Smith is to learn anything from Fresh Prince, and this incident, it's that sometimes, "one little fight" can change the course of your life.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×