There's no doubt that "SlapGate" is one of the most talked-about incidents of the year.
When most people think of Oscars night, they think of old Hollywood glitz and glamour.
However, the 2022 Oscars will forever be remembered for the incident between Will Smith and comedian
Chris Rock.
After Rock compared Will's wife Jada Pinkett Smith to Demi Moore in "G.I.
Jane," Will stormed the stage and slapped him across the face.
Jada has been open about her hair loss since 2018, and even posted a video to Instagram
in December 2021 with the caption,
"Mama's gonna have to take it down to the scalp so nobody thinks she got brain surgery
or something ... Me and this alopecia are going to be friends ... period!"
"Just all of a sudden, one day — look at this line right here."
Since the slap heard round the world, Will has felt plenty of repercussions.
While he did take home the Oscar for his performance in "King Richard" just moments after the incident,
it took Will a full day to apologize to Rock.
He wrote on Instagram,
"I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris.
I was out of line and I was wrong.
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."
After they launched an investigation against the "Independence Day" star, Will also resigned
from the Academy.
Initially, Rock remained tight-lipped, and during his first show since the slap, he told
fans that he would talk about the scandal when he was ready.
A few nights later, Rock played a show in Jersey City, which is close to Will's hometown
of Philadelphia, so he cracked a few jokes about that.
However, Rock may never fully forgive Will.
While the comedian declined to file charges against him, that doesn't necessarily mean
that everything is kosher between the pair.
An insider revealed to Hollywood Life that Rock is still pretty shaken over the events
that transpired, telling the site,
"He can't imagine forgiving Will, being friends with him.
It is just a very weird thing …"
Rock also feels like it left a stain on his career that he won't ever forget.
The same insider added,
"Chris Rock doesn't want the Will Smith slap to define him and the rest of his career.
It sucks that it is now part of his life forever."
The source also shared that Rock is absorbing everything, and his main focus remains on
his comedy tour.
Even though Rock has not talked about the incident much, his brother, Tony, has taken
to Twitter to express his feelings about it.
In the days after the events transpired on stage, Tony answered a few fan questions online
and revealed that he didn't believe Will's apology.
Another of Rock's five brothers, Kenny, also spoke about the incident, stating that he's
been having a tough time watching his brother go through it.
The infamous slap at the 2022 Oscars was undoubtedly the most tense moment in the relationship
between Chris Rock and Will Smith, who have known each other since their days on "The
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."
"I'm ready to get my freak on."
"Looks like you've already got it on."
But it wasn't the only tense moment, or the first.
Rock had taken a jab at Jada Pinkett Smith back in 2016 when she and Will, along with
other prominent Black figures in the film industry, skipped the Oscars to protest its
lack of diversity, a movement that went viral under the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite.
As the host, Rock appeared to dismiss Jada's actions by diminishing her relevance, saying,
"Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna's panties.
I wasn't invited."
The comedian then seemingly questioned Jada's commitment to the cause when he contended
she had actually skipped the ceremony because Will hadn't been nominated for the 2015 football
film "Concussion."
Will had a vastly different reaction back then.
When asked by paparazzi about Rock's remarks, Will simply smiled and threw a peace sign
before entering a car, E! News reported.
But that doesn't mean he wasn't insulted.
In fact, a source told People magazine that Rock's joke at his wife's expense was still
fresh on Will's mind when he smacked the comedian at the Oscars.
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