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Hollywood star Will Smith: No apologies to Chris Rock
Photo: Chris Pizzello/AP
The resounding slap in the face in front of an audience of millions has an aftermath: The Oscar Academy has condemned Hollywood star Will Smith's assault on comedian Chris Rock at this year's Oscar gala and initiated an investigation.
"We will examine further steps and consequences (...)," said the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences the day after the scandal.
Smith slapped Rock hard at Sunday night's Oscars on the stage at Hollywood's Dolby Theater after the comedian made a joke about Smith's hair-losing wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
At first, Will Smith laughed while his wife made a face.
Then he got up from his seat and went onto the stage.
After the slap, Smith yelled at Rock from his seat, "Don't put my wife's name in your damn mouth any more!" - twice using the word "fucking," which was frowned upon on US television, the one included in the US broadcast was drowned out by a beep.
Rock appeared slightly taken aback after the incident, but quickly recovered and joked, "It was the greatest night in television history." she knew of an incident at the ceremony in which one person slapped another.
The attacked refused to report the incident.
A tweet from the academy said that night about the incident: “The academy does not condone any form of violence.
Tonight we are delighted to celebrate the winners of the 94th Academy Awards, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and film lovers around the world.”
Immediately after the incident, many fans on social media and also observers in US media had wondered whether it was an actual outburst of anger by Will Smith or a prearranged scene.
Smith's acceptance speech, who won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in "King Richard" that memorable evening, suggested that he had indeed briefly lost his temper.
Smith tearfully apologized to the Oscar Academy and the other nominees - but not to Chris Rock.
The incident overshadowed the presentation of the most important film prize in the world and made headlines around the world.
US comedian and Emmy-winner Rosie O'Donnell has described Smith's behavior as "a sad display of toxic masculinity by a narcissistic madman."
Comedian Kathy Griffin lamented that comedians now have to fear "those who want to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters."
There were even calls on online platforms to withdraw Smith's Oscar for »King Richard«.
Some celebrities also protected Smith.
One Direction singer Liam Payne told journalists that Smith "had the right" to do so.
Democratic MP Ayanna Pressley, who, like Pinkett Smith, suffers from hair loss due to a disease, even thanked Smith in a later-deleted tweet.
She commended "all husbands who defend their wives who live with alopecia (hair loss) and face daily ignorance and insults."
ok/AFP