Benedict Cumberbatch Offers Savage ‘SNL’ Spiel About Will Smith’s Slap: ‘He Beat Me’
Benedict Cumberbatch poked fun at Will Smith's infamous slap during the Oscars 2022 and said that the actor also "beat" him.
The Chris Rock slap saga is yet to see the end of the tunnel as Cumberbatch brought it back to the "Saturday Night Live" stage during his opening monologue.
During Cumberbatch's second time on the "SNL" stage, he talked about "Doctor Strange" and how Smith beat him at the Oscars, as well.
"I have to be honest, though, because most of the sketch writers pitched me sketches every day, and most were about Doctor Strange. Which is great, I love the guy, I love playing the character... but I have been in other films. And I said, 'Well, like The Power of the Dog.' And he said, 'Nobody saw it,'" he said.
Cumberbatch then quipped about telling Executive Producer Lorne Michaels that he was nominated for an Oscar for the role. Unfortunately, he did not win since Smith "beat" him.
The "Avengers: Endgame" actor made people laugh by quickly adding that the "King Richard" actor did not beat him physically.
Benedict Cumberbatch’s Monologue! pic.twitter.com/4BOCqXDPQa
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) May 8, 2022
He indeed scored a spot for the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role. But the now-controversial Smith won it for his performance in King Richard.
His comments came weeks after Smith arrived at a private airport in Mumbai, India. A source confirmed to PEOPLE that the travel is for spiritual purposes and to practice meditation and yoga over a month after his Oscars blunder.
Still, the actor received condemnation as he got the time to work on himself but never took his chance to apologize to Rock personally.
Jada Pinkett Smith Also Working on Healing After Oscars Slap
Aside from the actor, his wife also started promoting healing with a graphic that says, "This is a season for healing, and I'm here for it."
She shared the post on her Instagram, and the whole family continues to be out of the spotlight. People found it absurd, though, as fans and experts believe that she triggered her husband and caused him to barge the stage and slap the confused comedian by showing her displeased look.
A video of her reaction also went viral, showing how she tilted forward as she laughed after Smith slapped Rock. The Academy has since addressed the issue in a statement, confirming the 10-year-ban it imposed on Smith.
