Oscar presenter and comedian Chris Rock will not be pressing charges after Best Actor winner Will Smith appeared to slap him during a presentation at the telecast on Sunday night, police have said.
In an indicent that shocked both viewers and attendess, Smith walked to the stage after Chris Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Just before the confrontation, Rock joked about Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, saying, “Jada I love you, ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it.”
While Smith initially appeared to laugh, Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes and appeared unamused by the tastless joke. Pinkett Smith has been open about having alopecia, an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss, and reportedly decided to shave her head last summer.
After the quip, Smith walked to the stage and confronted Rock, appearing to slap him in the head or the face. Smith then returned to his seat and said to Rock: “leave my wife’s name out of your f**king mouth.”
A short time after, Smith was awarded the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in “King Richard,” about the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
Smith offered an apology in his speech but did not specifically mention Rock’s name, as ABC 7 reports.
According to the report, police said Rock is not planning on pressing charges.
“LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program,” police said in a statement to CNN. “The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.”
Rock did not offer any further comment after the ceremony.
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[Feature image: Will Smith, right, hits presenter Chris Rock on stage while presenting the award for best documentary feature at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)]
