Everything the ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ Cast Have Said About Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars

Sharing their thoughts. Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars ignited a conversation — including from the Philadelphia native’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air costars.

During the 94th annual Academy Awards on March 27, Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith where he joked about her joining G.I. Jane 2. The Girls Trip actress, who previously revealed that she has alopecia, rolled her eyes at the comment about her shaved head.

In response, her husband walked up to the stage and slapped the comedian. “Will Smith just smacked the s—t out of me,” the South Carolina native said in censored footage that later circulated online. The King Richard star returned to his seat while yelling at Rock multiple times to “keep my wife’s name out your f—king mouth.”

After winning the award for best actor later that night, Smith addressed the shocking situation in his emotional acceptance speech. “I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people. I know to do what we do, you got to be able to take abuse,” he said at the time. “You got to be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business you got to be able to have people disrespecting you. And you got to smile, you got to pretend like that’s OK.”

Sharing their thoughts. Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars ignited a conversation — including from the Philadelphia native’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air costars.

During the 94th annual Academy Awards on March 27, Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith where he joked about her joining G.I. Jane 2. The Girls Trip actress, who previously revealed that she has alopecia, rolled her eyes at the comment about her shaved head.

In response, her husband walked up to the stage and slapped the comedian. “Will Smith just smacked the s—t out of me,” the South Carolina native said in censored footage that later circulated online. The King Richard star returned to his seat while yelling at Rock multiple times to “keep my wife’s name out your f—king mouth.”

After winning the award for best actor later that night, Smith addressed the shocking situation in his emotional acceptance speech. “I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people. I know to do what we do, you got to be able to take abuse,” he said at the time. “You got to be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business you got to be able to have people disrespecting you. And you got to smile, you got to pretend like that’s OK.”

The Suicide Squad actor also apologized to Rock directly on social media, writing via Instagram, “I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

Pinkett Smith, for her part, seemingly reacted to the incident when she shared an Instagram quote, which read, “This is a season for healing and I’m here for it.”