Real blow or staged? Fierce feud between Will Smith and Chris Rock does not appear to be a game | Oscars 2022

It was an eventful edition of the Oscars. This morning (our time), actor Will Smith, who was nominated for his role in ‘King Richard’, and Oscar host Chris Rock caused a real riot. All hell broke loose when the latter onstage joked about the “GI Jane” haircut of Will’s wife Jada Pinkett-Smith. “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth,” Will Smith yelled at presenter Chris Rock twice. Smith also took the stage to punch Rock. The latter was clearly off his milk for a while, but then responded with: “Wow, this is going to be the most talked-about night in Oscar history.”

The incident is now also the topic of conversation. Hundreds of memes have popped up on social media about it in particular. In addition, many other celebrities also made a statement about the feud. But the question on everyone’s lips is, of course, whether the blow was real or staged? Not much later, Will Smith acted as if nothing was wrong. The actor appeared laughing at the Oscars after-party with his wife Jada and his children. Several journalists tried to ask Will how he felt after the incident with Chris Rock, but the actor refused.

Watch here: Will Smith smiles at the Oscars afterparty

However, the chance that it is actually a rehearsed joke is very small. Shortly after the incident, the broadcast was stopped for several minutes. In the American broadcast of the award show, the conversation was also beeped away, causing the international media to immediately jump on the incident. In addition, photos of several stars in shock at the moment it happened quickly circulated on social media. A journalist from ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, who was present in the room, said on Twitter that Smith was still in tears after the incident. During the first commercial break that followed, Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry are said to have come to him and his wife to comfort them. In addition, Bradley Cooper also addressed Will. Photos show him encouraging and embracing his fellow actor.

According to those in the know, it is therefore unlikely that it was a game, especially given the immediate damage to Will’s reputation. “This was real”, said film journalist Aagje Vanthomme in an interview with VTM NIEUWS. “When he verbally lashes out after the blow, you can see that he is furious. In addition, Chris Rock was clearly very shocked by Will Smith’s swipe.” According to Vanthomme, the fact that the Oscar presenter does not intend to file a complaint indicates that the blow was indeed real. The reaction of the Academy Awards, who deeply regret the situation, also shows that it is not a rehearsed joke.

In addition, Smith would benefit from announcing in a statement that he was just part of the show. But despite the many criticisms he is now receiving, such a statement is not forthcoming. He also tearfully admitted in his victory speech that he had gone too far. Meanwhile, it has also been revealed that the joke about Jada’s haircut was not originally in the script. A source told US Weekly that the joke in question could not be heard during an earlier rehearsal. In addition, the insider also made it clear that Will Smith was not present while Chris Rock was rehearsing his presentation.

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