Will Smith’s Slap Not Disturbing Enough, THIS Makes It Worse, Jay Leno Says
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in front of the Oscars attendees, but Jay Leno explained why the event was not the worst part.
Nearly a month since the Chris Rock slap went viral, people still share their opinions about it and what they think went wrong. Leno became the latest personality to comment on the event.
Leno shared his thoughts about the incident in a new interview with Palm Beach Daily News, saying that the slap was not the "most disturbing."
For what it's worth, the 53-year-old "King Richard" star struck Rock on stage after the comedian joked about Jada Pinkett Smith being prepared for the next "G.I. Jane" movie. Rock reportedly did not know about the actress' alopecia, and he received a slap from Smith after dropping the joke.
After the infamous slap, Smith went back to his seat and yelled, "Keep my wife's name out of your f-----g mouth!" twice.
"To me, the thing that's most disturbing wasn't the slap, because he was kind of smirking after he slapped [Rock]. It was the yelling of the obscenities. Then you go, 'Whoa, what's going on here?' This is real anger," he said.
Leno also commented on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' statement a day after the incident where it revealed that they began a formal review.
The 71-year-old "Tonight Show" host questioned what the organization was still investigating when the assault had become the most recorded one in history.
What Happened After Oscars Slap
Smith has since apologized to Rock, saying that he reacted emotionally over his joke since the "joke about Jada's medical condition was too much" for him to carry.
Despite winning the Best Actor award, the Academy confirmed that it imposed a 10-year ban on the actor.
"The board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards," it said.
Smith also resigned from the Academy while all of his projects halted their productions. The Hollywood Reporter first reported that Sony halted the production of the upcoming installment of the "Bad Boys" franchise. A statement obtained by CBR confirmed that there would be a pause "as things play out."
He also had a scheduled movie on Netflix, but the streaming giant took it out of the spotlight.
