In the wake of actor Will Smith's violent outburst at the 2022 Oscars, former Academy
Awards host Billy Crystal hasn't minced words about how he feels about the whole thing.
On an episode of HBO Max's Back on the Record with Bob Costas, Crystal said:
"It was a most disturbing incident for sure.
It was an assault."
According to Crystal, however, audience members acting on impulse is nothing new.
"You know, and I've had experiences.
I hosted the Grammys three times.
I've been thrown things."
But now Crystal is digging his heels in even further, as he has even more to say about
the industry-shaking incident.
During a recent appearance on CNN+'s Who's Talking to Chris Wallace, Crystal told host
Chris Wallace that he believed that comedian Chris Rock's joke at Jada Pinkett's expense
wasn't all that great.
"I love Chris and we're friends and I so respect him.
I just thought it was wrong."
He also praised Rock for his response to the incident.
"I thought Chris handled himself as well as he could and to keep it together."
Still, he didn't hold back on his thoughts about how Smith handled it.
"You know, it was a horrible thing.
It's a crime."
Delving deeper into Smith's mindset at the time, Crystal continued:
"I was concerned very much for the mental state of Will."
Following the now-infamous public outburst, Smith issued a public apology to Rock, resigned
from the Academy, and noted that he would "accept any further consequences the Board
deems appropriate."
In turn, the professional honorary organization opted to ban Smith from the award show for
the next ten years.
The big slap seems to have become one of the most iconic references in pop culture following
the events of the 2022 Academy Awards.
Billy Crystal has even referenced the shocking moment before his latest critiques.
During a March 29th dress rehearsal for "Mr. Saturday Night" — a musical comedy on Broadway
— Crystal briefly mentioned the moment in his curtain speech.
He reportedly said:
"We got through a show and no one got slapped.
Unbelievable."
Of course, while Will Smith's slap may have stirred up a scandal, the truth is that Oscars
hosts are known to provide a good-natured ribbing to attendees.
Usually, though, the show moves on in stride and the notable figures in the front rows
stay put.
During Crystal's opening monologue for the 1993 Academy Awards, for example, he continued
the tradition by poking fun at the show's top nominees.
When he got to Jack Nicholson, his teasing pulled big laughs from the audience.
Referencing both the actor's love of sitting courtside and his well-known playboy reputation,
Crystal said:
"I love Jack, he's sitting right there smiling at me.
I feel like a Laker girl."
Nicholson laughed along and stood to approach the host.
Luckily, this time around, the two shook hands and Nicholson can be heard saying, "Thank
you, Billy."
Crystal himself has a lot of experience regarding the dynamics of an awards show, and he has
voiced his hopes that future hosts can set the bar high.
And while many celebrities have shared their opinions on the drama of the 2022 Oscars,
the opinion of Billy Crystal seems to hold a great deal of weight.
His nine years as a host to the star-studded event definitely makes him somewhat of an
expert figure.
As he told People magazine:
"I had so many great memories hosting the show.
It was a history of cinema for me."
Discussing the many changes to the Academy Awards' structure and the debate on whether
or not there should be a host at all, Crystal defended the role as a necessity.
He said:
"You need a center."
But there was no official host for 2019, 2020, or 2021 — something that made a little more
sense during the pandemic.
Seemingly making up for lost time, it was announced that Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and
Wanda Sykes would share the duties, but their triple coverage still couldn't dim the spotlight
from the shock of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock.
Crystal also spoke about how the host is essential in surprise moments during an interview with
Extra in 2021.
"And so I think you need somebody there, in case something happens.
That's the fun part of it, to have somebody to comment on it and to run with it."
Maybe it's time for Crystal to remind everybody how it's done.
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