Will Smith Smacks Chris Rock on Stage for Joke About Ill Wife, Then Wins Oscar

Will Smith Smacks Chris Rock on Stage for Joke About Ill Wife, Then Wins Oscar
Will Smith (R) hit Chris Rock as Rock spoke on stage during the 94th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Calif., on March 27, 2022. Brian Snyder/Reuters
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LOS ANGELES—Best actor nominee Will Smith smacked presenter Chris Rock in the face with an open hand and shouted a vulgarity at the comedian for making a joke about his wife’s appearance at the Oscars ceremony on Sunday.

Minutes later, when accepting the Oscar for best actor for his role in “King Richard,” Smith apologized to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and his fellow nominees but not to Rock.