The Academy "condemns" Will Smith's slap in the face of Chris Rock on Oscar night by initiating a formal review of the Dolby Theater incident that could lead to penalties and, possibly, the revocation of the newly awarded Oscar for "King Richard. - A winning family "who yesterday raised their hands on the comedian, guilty of a joke on the shaved head of his wife Jada Pinkett.
The altercation shock on live TV has divided Hollywood and made social networks explode with comments with many voices ready to claim the withdrawal of the award.
Comedian Kathy Griffith took the side of Rock: "All of us in comedy clubs should be afraid now." And Mia Farrow said, "But it was just a joke."
In defense of Smith, Tiffany Haddish, co-star of Jada in "Girls Trip", took sides: "I see a black man defending his wife: the most beautiful thing in the world". Gabriele Muccino, who knows Smith well for directing him in 2006 in "The Pursuit of Happiness" and two years later in "Seven Souls", was sorry for "how the actor managed to ruin the most important evening of his life" , observing on the other hand that "no one knows the history of that nerve so discovered that it made him lose control".
If Rock had reported him, Smith could have ended up in jail, but the two "made peace," assured Sean Combs, who is friends with both of them, at the "Vanity Fair" party, which the comedian didn't show up to.
Jada Pinkett, with whom Smith has been married since 1997 in a turbulent union that recently turned into an "open marriage", suffers from alopecia. For a few months, instead of covering her head with scarves and hats, the actress had opted for a radical "Soldier Jane" cut and had therefore been on the look similar to that of Demi Moore in the Ridley Scott film of the same name, which Rock had mentioned. making the audience laugh.
A joke that Smith, sitting in the front row, however, did not go down. At first it was thought of as a joke, but the insult that accompanied the slap on stage soon removed all doubts: "Keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth," Smith said twice as censors blocked her. 'audio and he, with a small smile on his face, went back to his seat.
A few minutes later, Will returned to the stage to collect the award, and there, visibly moved, offered a partial explanation by comparing himself to Richard Williams, the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, in whose shoes he had entered for the role that yesterday he won the first Oscar of his career. "Life imitates art. Love drives you crazy," the actor said with tears in his eyes, apologizing to the audience and the Academy. But not with Rock: "Richard was a fierce defender of his family".
Smith then spoke of the pressure in Hollywood to ignore "when you are insulted" or disrespect yourself: "You have to smile and pretend that everything is fine". This - he added - is "a complicated moment for me".
(Unioneonline / vl)