Late-Night Hosts React to Will Smith Oscars Drama: 'The Old Hitch Slap'
Still processing. Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars is arguably the most shocking thing to ever happen at the Academy Awards, so it’s no surprise that late-night hosts had a lot to say about it.
Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted the ceremony in 2017 and 2018, was surprised that the King Richard actor, 53, found a way to upstage what was previously the wildest thing to happen at the Oscars: Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty mistakenly announcing La La Land as the Best Picture winner over real winner Moonlight.
“I’m a little bummed because I’ve only now hosted the second craziest Oscars of all time,” the Man Show alum, 54 quipped during the Monday, March 28, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! “Maybe they should do this at every awards show. ‘Still to come, the Grammy for Record of the Year, and who will Dua Lipa physically assault? Bruno Mars or Olivia Rodrigo? Find out next on the 64th Annual Grammy Awards!'”
Stephen Colbert, for his part, joked that the slap was the “worst thing” Smith had ever done before quickly changing his mind. “Wait, I forgot about Wild Wild West,” the comedian, 57, said on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. “I’m kidding, obviously. The worst thing he’s ever done is Gemini Man. Someone should slap both of the guys in that movie.”
The Men in Black star made headlines on Sunday, March 27, when he walked on stage and slapped Rock, 57, who was in the process of presenting the trophy for Best Documentary Feature. The Saturday Night Live alum joked that Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, could star in a sequel to G.I. Jane because of her shortly buzzed haircut.
The Philadelphia native initially seemed to laugh at the quip, leading some viewers to think the slap was part of a bit. It quickly became clear that it wasn’t planned, however, when the Ali star sat back down and yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out your f–king mouth!”
The following day, the newly-minted Oscar winner took to Instagram to apologize for the incident. “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive,” he wrote via Instagram on Monday. “My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.” (The Magic Mike XXL actress, 50, has been candid about her alopecia diagnosis.)
The “Miami” rapper went on to “publicly apologize” to Rock. “I was out of line and I was wrong,” he continued. “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.”
Jada, for her part, subtly reacted to the situation on Tuesday, sharing an Instagram quote that read, “This is a season for healing and I’m here for it.”
Keep scrolling to see what else late-night hosts had to say about the viral moment.
The New York City native called the incident "the old Hitch slap," referencing Will's 2005 rom-com of the same name. "The only thing I can really compare it to is when Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear," he added. "Even Kanye [West] was like, 'You went on stage and did what at an awards show?' ... No one could have predicted the most controversial movie of 2022 would be G.I. Jane but it was. This was the Hollywood version of your drunk uncle starting a fight, ruining the wedding and then standing up and giving a long toast to the bride and groom." Kimmel also marveled at the fact that no one in the audience tried to intervene. "No one lifted a finger!" he joked. "Spider-Man was there. Aquaman was there. Catwoman, all sitting on their hands. No one helped Chris Rock!" MediaPunch/Shutterstock
"America may be divided, but it was kind of nice for all of us to come together and say, 'holy crap' at the same time," the Fever Pitch star began on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. "Of course, I have to address the big moment that everyone's talking about, and that is Questlove winning the Oscar for best documentary!" The musician, 51, is part of The Roots, who are Fallon's house band on the show. “Seriously, you know it was a strange awards show when it ends with a statement from the LAPD, you know what I’m saying?” the SNL alum, 47, continued. "In just a split second, the Oscars went from Oscar de la Renta to Oscar De La Hoya. You move the award for best film editing out of the main broadcast and all hell breaks lose.” NINA PROMMER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
"The whole incident threw me off in a huge way," the Cats star, 43, said on The Late Late Show With James Corden. "Also completely ruined my chances in the Oscar pool. I had Dame Judi Dench smacking Woody Harrelson. Seriously, though, I applaud Chris Rock for recovering, keeping the show moving. It was an incredibly dignified response. I'll say this, Will Smith can't take a joke. Chris Rock can take a punch. A steel jaw, unbelievable!" Gregory Pace/Shutterstock
"Let me say something as an objective observer: It's never OK to punch a comedian," the Daily Show alum quipped. "Will Smith was offended by the joke and wanted to stand up for his wife. Fine. Challenge Chris to a duel or, if you really want to hurt a comedian, don’t laugh. That hurts way more than a punch, I promise you.” Colbert went on to say there should be "consequences" for slapping someone on stage at the Academy Awards. "Like winning the Oscar for Best Actor and receiving a standing ovation, then partying all night," he joked. "Who says Hollywood sends a bad message to our kids? 'You see that, Johnny? You see that? You solve your problems with violence, and everyone will love you and give you golden statues. Now off to the afterparty, mister! You've got a lot of your own music to dance to.'" Omar Vega/JanuaryImages/Shutterstock
“The 94th Academy Awards were held last night and featured the first live performance of ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno,’ from the Disney musical Encanto, followed by an unbelievable live performance of ‘We Don’t Talk About Jada,'" the Spring Breakdown star, 48, said on Late Night With Seth Meyers. "I gotta say the last thing I ever expected to see at the Oscars was a display of narcissism. We'll have more on this story in a little bit, but first let me do the rest of the monologue, which is kind of terrifying now that I know you can get slapped for doing a bad joke." John Salangsang/Shutterstock
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