Celebrities have reacted to Will Smith’s altercation with Chris Rock during Sunday’s (March 27) Oscars.
Will Smith — just minutes before winning the Best Actor Oscar for his role in “King Richard” — confronted presenter Chris Rock on stage, slapping him after the comedian made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. Pinkett Smith has spoken publicly about her hair loss due to the autoimmune disease alopecia.
Will later apologized directly to the presenter the following day in a lengthy statement. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,” Smith wrote via Instagram on March 28. “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.”
Stars who were both in attendance and watching at home had a lot to say about the drama. Here’s how celebs have reacted to the incident:
1. Lamar Odom
“He loves his wife. I do not condone violence against anyone,” the former Los Angeles Lakers athlete captioned a Tuesday, March 29, Instagram snap. “@willsmith loves @jadapinkettsmith. I was told love covers a multitude of sins.♥️… Had I protected my wife [ex Khloé Kardashian] versus mentally, emotionally and spiritually hurting her, I may still be married.”
2. Zoe Kravitz
“Here’s a picture of my dress at the show where we are apparently assaulting people on stage now,” the Batman star captioned a red carpet photo via Instagram on Tuesday, March 29.
3. Stephen Colbert
“Let me say something as an objective observer: It’s never OK to punch a comedian,” the writer said on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. “Will Smith was offended by the joke and wanted to stand up for his wife. Fine. Challenge Chris to a duel or, if you really want to hurt a comedian, don’t laugh. That hurts way more than a punch, I promise you.”
4. Diddy
The entrepreneur attempted to play peacemaker after the incident when presenting The Godfather tribute on stage. “OK, Will and Chris, we’re going to solve that like family at the Gold Party, OK?” the rapper said. “But right now we are moving on with love. Everybody make some noise!”
5. Nicki Minaj
“I love Chris Rock. I don’t think he would’ve made that joke had he known what Jada recently shared- but between him & the whole team @ the #Oscars you mean to tell me not ONE of y’all heard this woman just share this heartbreaking story? #ComeOnSon,” the rapper wrote on Twitter. ” …. You just got to witness in real time what happens in a man’s soul when he looks over to the woman he loves & sees her holding back tears from a “little joke” at her expense. This is what any & every real man feels in that instant. while y’all seeing the joke he’s seeing her pain.”
6. Cardi B
“At your highest moment …be careful that’s when the devil tries to come for you,” the “WAP” rapper wrote on Twitter, echoing Denzel Washington‘s own comments to Smith
7. Kathy Griffin
“Let me tell you something, it’s a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a comedian,” tweeted the funnywoman. “Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters
8. Tiffany Haddish
“I think Chris was messy. As a woman who had a husb, I wish my husb wld have stood up 4 me the way (Will) stood up for (Jada),” the Girls’ Trip star told the Los Angeles Times. “That’s what every woman wants, right? She was hurt. And he protected his wife. And that’s what a man is supposed to do.”
9. Billy Eichner
“I’m getting under my couch,” the Billy on the Street host tweeted in response to the surprising moment.
10. 50 Cent
Rapper 50 Cent tweeted: “You have to win Oscars to do this kinda s**t. after i win i’m gonna slap the s**t out of a few people. LOL.”
11. Sophia Bush
“Violence isn’t ok. Assault is never the answer,” the One Tree Hill alum shared on Twitter. “Also? This is the 2nd time that Chris has made fun of Jada on the #Oscars stage, & tonight he went after her alopecia. Punching down at someone’s auto-immune disease is wrong. Doing so on purpose is cruel. They both need a breather.”
