>>> WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO ADD A
FOURTH HOUR TO "MORNING JOE"?
>> YOU CAN SEE, THREE HOURS,
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME IN THE
DAY FOR HIM AND TALKING, SO WHY
NOT FOUR?
WHY NOT FIVE.
>> WHY NOT FIVE?
YOU ARE REALLY GOOD AT IT,
THOUGH.
>> THAT'S VERY NICE OF YOU TO
SAY.
>> HE'S AMAZING.
>> YOU'RE BOTH GREAT.
>> SPEAKING OF GOOD AT
SOMETHING, QUESTLOVE HERE,
MAN --
>> QUESTLOVE --
>> SUMMER OF SOUL.
>> WE TOLD HIM TO STAY -- HE
JUST WON A GRAMMY.
HE WON AN OSCAR LAST WEEK AND A
GRAMMY LAST NIGHT.
WE SAID, TAKE THE WEEK, BUDDY.
>> AMAZING!
AMAZING!
>> JOE'S SHOUT-OUT TO QUESTLOVE
AFTER HIS DOCUMENTARY "SUMMER OF
SOUL" WON AN OSCAR AND A GRAMMY.
IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS, AT FIRST
IT GOT OVERSHADOWED BY WILL
SMITH SLAPPING CHRIS ROCK OVER A
JOKE ABOUT JADA PINKETT SMITH.
>> I HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT THAT.
>> THIS MORNING, WILL SMITH'S
CAREER COULD NOW BE IN TROUBLE,
WITH NETFLIX AND SONY PUMPING
THE BRAKES ON AT LEAST TWO
ACTION FILMS HE'S SET TO STAR
IN, BUT IT'S NOT JUST THE
OSCARS, THE GRAMMYS ARE ALSO
FACING BACKLASH AFTER LOUIS C.K.
WON BEST COMEDY ALBUM ON SUNDAY
DESPITE ADMITTING TO SEXUAL
MISCONDUCT IN THE PAST.
>> JOINING US NOW, FOUNDING
PARTNER AT THE MEDIA VENTURE
PUCK, MATTHEW BELLONI.
HE'S A REPORTER FOR THE
"HOLLYWOOD REPORTER."
LET'S START WITH WILL SMITH.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE WAS GOING TO BE
SOME RESPONSE FROM HOLLYWOOD TO
WHAT HE DID IN TERMS OF HIS
FUTURE PROJECTS.
HOW BIG IS THE DAMAGE, THOUGH,
FOR A GUY WHO WAS SO WELL
ESTABLISHED?
CAN HE JUST WEATHER THIS STORM
BY SITTING OUT ON THE SIDELINES
FOR A YEAR OR SO?
>> THAT IS THE HUGE QUESTION
RIGHT NOW.
I WOULD SAY HE'S DEFINITELY
PAUSED ALL OF HIS ACTING
OPPORTUNITIES.
AND HE'S GOT A FILM THAT HE'S
ALREADY SHOT THAT WAS SCHEDULED
TO COME OUT LATER THIS YEAR
CALLED EMANCIPATION.
THAT IS FROM APPLE.
WE WILL SEE WHAT THEY DO WITH
THAT FILM.
BUT RIGHT NOW, HE'S NOT TAKING
ANY ACTING GIGS.
AND I DON'T THINK ANY ARE BEING
OFFERED TO HIM.
HE'S ALSO A PROLIFIC PRODUCER,
THOUGH.
THE QUESTION WILL BE, CAN HIS
COMPANY CONTINUE TO PRODUCE
PROJECTS, EVEN THOUGH HE HIMSELF
IS UNDER THIS CLOUD OF SCRUTINY
AND REALLY KIND OF OSTRACIZED.
>> SO, MATTHEW, TELL US, WHAT IS
THE CURRENT CLIMATE IN HOLLYWOOD
FOR WILL SMITH?
IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE
FOLLOWING A LOT OF PEOPLE.
HE SLAPS CHRIS ROCK, HE GETS HIS
AWARD.
HE GETS A STANDING OVATION FOR
ABOUT A DAY, EVERYBODY SEEMS
FROZEN.
JIM CARREY AND A COUPLE OF OTHER
PEOPLE COME OUT AND CRITICIZE
HIM.
THEN IT SEEMS TO GO THE OTHER
WAY.
AND NOW HE'S -- HE SEEMS TO FACE
THIS PRETTY INTENSE BACKLASH.
WHAT -- WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF
THIS?
WHERE IS SORT OF THE OFFICIAL
HOLLYWOOD RIGHT NOW?
>> I THINK PEOPLE, FOR LACK OF A
BETTER WORD, ARE PISSED.
THEY'RE VERY UPSET STILL, AND
THEY'RE EMBARRASSED BY THE WHOLE
SITUATION.
THE FACT THAT THE ENTIRE WORLD
IS TALKING ABOUT THIS DEBACLE AT
THE OSCARS, AND ALL OF THESE
HOLLYWOOD LIBERALS THAT PREACH
ANTI-VIOLENCE AND YOU KNOW, THE
KIND OF ENLIGHTENED WORLD VIEW
AND YOU SEE THIS HAPPEN ON STAGE
AND EVERYONE GIVE HIM A STANDING
OVATION.
THAT IS REALLY THE ISSUE NOW.
HE STEPPED DOWN FROM THE ACADEMY
ON FRIDAY.
HE RESIGNED.
BUT THERE'S STILL THIS PROCEDURE
GOING ON WHERE THEY COULD
DISCIPLINE HIM.
AND ON APRIL 18th, WE'LL KNOW
WHETHER THE ACADEMY WILL BAR HIM
FROM FUTURE OSCARS, BAR HIM FROM
BEING NOMTDINATED FOR FUTURE
OSCARS.
AND I THINK, FROM THERE, WE'LL
START TO SEE WHETHER HE CAN
CRAWL BACK AND KIND OF GRASP AT
HIS CAREER.
KEEP IN MIND, SOME PUBLIC
SURVEYS HAVE COME OUT THAT SHOW
THAT ABOUT 50% OF THE COUNTRY
STILL HAVE A FAVORABLE VIEW OF
HIM.
SO, IT'S NOT LIKE HE IS, YOU
KNOW -- THAT'S WAY DOWN FROM
WHAT THEY USED TO THINK.
BUT IT'S STILL NOT NOTHING.
SO THERE IS A BASE HERE FROM
WHICH TO MOUNT A COMEBACK.
>> MATTHEW, LET'S TALK ABOUT
LOUIS C.K. AT THE GRAMMYS.
HE WON FOR BEST COMEDY ALBUM.
THAT ALBUM WAS HIS COMEBACK
ALBUM AFTER NEARLY FIVE YEARS
AGO AFTER THE ALLEGATIONS
AGAINST HIM MADE IN 2017.
SOME BACKLASH TO HIS VICTORY.
WHAT MORE CAN YOU TELL US?
>> I THINK THE RECORDING ACADEMY
IS VERY EMBARRASSED BY THIS.
I MEAN, KEEP IN MIND, THEY
DON'T -- THE MEMBERS NOMINATE
AND SELECT THE WINNERS.
THE RECORDING ACADEMY HAS TO
LIVE WITH IT.
AND THE GRAMMYS HAVE ALWAYS DONE
THIS.
THERE'S ALWAYS A COUPLE OF
EMBARRASSING WINNERS.
AND IT'S USUALLY IN THE
CATEGORIES LIKE THIS, WHERE
PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHO TO VOTE
FOR, FOR THE COMEDY ALBUMS.
SO THEY VOTE FOR THE PERSON THEY
HEARD OF.
AND PEOPLE ARE CERTAINLY HEARD
OF LOUIS C.K..
IT MAY BE A BIT OF AN
ENDORSEMENT FOR HIS COMEBACK, AS
YOU MENTIONED.
THIS COMEDY ALBUM WASN'T JUST
ANY COMEDY ALBUM.
IT WAS HIM ADDRESSING THE
SCANDAL AND TALKING ABOUT HIS
EFFORTS TO COME BACK.
SO MAYBE THERE IS A BIT OF AN
ENDORSEMENT THERE OF HIS, YOU
KNOW, CONTRITION AND HIM SAYING
YES, I APOLOGIZE, THIS IS HOW
I'M COMING BACK.
BUT IT'S NOT A GREAT LOOK.
>> ALL RIGHT, MATTHEW BELLONI,