Will Smith yelled at Chris Rock to “keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth” after hitting the comedian onstage at the 94th Academy Awards.
Rock took to the stage to present the award for Best Documentary when he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s appearance.
“Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see you,” he quipped in an apparent reference to the actor’s shaved head.
Pinkett Smith – who announced last year that she shaved her head after struggling with alopecia – could be seen in the audience together with her husband, rolling her eyes at the joke.
Rock’s comment prompted Smith to stand up and walk on stage, causing the comedian to joke: “Uh oh...”. Smith then proceeded to hit Rock and then walk off stage back to his seat.
“Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me,” said Rock, looking visibly shocked at the moment.
Smith is then heard yelling: “Keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth,” to which Rock replied: “Wow... dude. It was a GI Jane joke.”
“Keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth,” Smith yells again. “I’m going to...” replied Rock, who appeared flustered at the interaction.
“That was the greatest night in the history of television,” said Rock, before going on to present the award for Best Documentary.
Many viewers reported that the sound from the televised broadcast cut out during Smith’s outburst.
The Independent has contacted a representative of Smith’s for comment.
Denzel Washington, Bradley Cooper, and Tyler Perry were seen appearing to console Smith after the incident.
Earlier in the ceremony, Regina Hall – who is hosting the ceremony alongside Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes – poked fun at Smith and Pinkett Smith’s marriage during a ‘hilarious’ skit.
Following the punch, a joke Rock made about Pinkett Smith at the 2016 Oscars resurfaced online.
Find the full list of 2022 Oscar winners here.
