In case you were hoping all had been forgiven and forgotten regarding the slap seen 'round
the world at the 2022 Oscars, think again.
Comedian and host Trevor Noah sneaked a line about the slap into his opening monologue
at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards that had everyone talking.
During his joke-filled opening, Noah wanted everyone to know that the 2022 Grammys isn't
a regular awards show, but instead, quote, "a concert where we are giving out awards."
Noah then said,
"We're gonna to be listening to some music, we're gonna be dancing, we're gonna be singing,
we're gonna be keeping people's names out of our mouths and we're gonna be giving out
awards all throughout the night."
Noah was, of course, referencing what Smith said after slapping Rock for making a joke
about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, comparing her shaved head to Demi Moore's in "G.I.
Jane."
Jada has alopecia and has been open about her hair loss since 2018.
Following the shocking smack, Smith shouted, "Keep my wife's name out of your f---ing mouth,"
not once, but twice.
A clearly flustered Rock said that he would, then joked that this was "the greatest night
in the history of television," before awkwardly moving on to the Best Documentary Feature
nominees.
Speaking of which: It wasn't just Trevor Noah who slipped in a quip about Will Smith's infamous
Oscars slap during music's biggest night.
Questlove from The Roots also addressed the drama while presenting the award for Song
of the Year, saying,
"Alright, I am going to present this award and I trust that you people will stay 500
feet away from me.
And you know, this is now a special moment for someone.
And we're going to make a memory for them tonight."
As you may or may not remember — let's be honest, the moment was a little overshadowed
— Questlove actually won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature during the March 27th
ceremony, following the slap.
He told Jimmy Fallon that he was meditating right before his big win.
"When I opened my eyes, I didn't realize.
Like, 'Why is everyone so quiet?'
Like, I literally was not present for that whole, entire moment."
The Roots drummer previously made it clear that he wished people would stop talking about
the incident.
Questlove made the plea in a tweet shared on April 1st, asking,
"Can we FINNNNNNNALY stop talking about it?"
That wasn't all the Will moments at the Grammys, though.
LeVar Burton also referenced the incident, saying,
"So I need to caution everybody: Remain in your seats and keep your hands to yourself.
Alright?"
Comedian Nate Bargatze then strolled on stage in a helmet, joking,
"They said comedians have to wear these now at award shows during their joke parts."
Will Smith did not attend the 2022 Grammys, but has won four of the prestigious music
awards in his time and has received eight nominations.
The star also hasn't upgraded his Instagram account since he sent out a somewhat lengthy
apology on March 28, in which he explicitly apologized to Chris Rock, the Academy, his
"King Richard" co-stars, and all those who watched the incident go down.
Noting that he's a "work in progress," he wrote,
"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.
[...] I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous
journey for all of us."
It's unclear what consequences, if any, Will Smith will receive for the slap, but he resigned
from the Academy on April 1 amid disciplinary proceedings.
A statement from Academy president David Rubin read,
"We have received and accepted Mr. Will Smith's immediate resignation from the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith
for violations of the Academy's Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled
board meeting on April 18."
As for Chris Rock, he did not press charges against the former "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"
star, but Rock did break his silence on the whole thing during a stand-up show on March
30, promising to speak at length on the matter at a later date.
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