Why did Will Smith slap Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars? The infamous moment, reexamined

The Oscars are the biggest ceremony of the year in Hollywood. However, in 2022 the night saw one of its most shocking and memorable moments..

Everyone re when Oscar nominee Chris Rock across the face. In relation, Rock laughed off the entire ordeal as Smith returned to his seat and yelled several expletives in Rock’s direction, advising the comedian to keep the name of his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, out of Rock’s mouth.

Following the altercation, which was broadcast on live television to millions of viewers, Smith went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, although it was soon confirmed that he was banned from the Oscars for 10 years. Years later, however, people continue to scratch their heads and wonder exactly why Smith slapped Rock across the face in the first place.

So, why exactly did Smith slap Rock at the Oscars?

With the situation happening over 2 years ago, it’s hardly a surprise that folks are still interested in the reasoning behind Smith’s slap. On one hand, it’s widely believed that Smith slapped Rock due to a joke that Rock made about Will’s wife Jada. With her head shaved at the Oscars, Rock made a joke about hopefully seeing Jada in a G.I. Jane sequel. The joke referenced Demi Moore’s character, who had her head shaved in the Ridley Scott vehicle.

This visibly upset Jada, as she suffers from alopecia – a condition that results in hair loss. And while Smith himself appeared to find the joke amusing at first, his feelings immediately switched once he noticed that Jada wasn’t thrilled with Rock’s punchline. 

In the aftermath of the incident, Smith has since publicly apologized to Rock on several occasions — including a YouTube video ed over a year ago. It’s unclear as of right now if Smith and Rock will ever put their differences aside, but there’s absolutely no denying how monumental and impactful that infamous moment has become in the realm of pop culture.