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The altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars has been dominating headlines.
After Smith slapped Rock over a joke Rock cracked about Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, while presenting an award during the 94th Annual Academy Awards, it’s been circulating that bad blood may have been brewing long before the incident.
Here’s a look at the history Rock shares with the Smith family, starting at the very beginning of Will and Jada’s relationship, and what led up to the viral slap.
MEETING THE ‘FRESH PRINCE’
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett first met on the set of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” when she auditioned for a role on the show. She didn’t get the part but met her future husband — and Rock — in 1994.
Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Chris Rock share a history since Will and Rock’s time on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” in the ’90s.
(Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
While Rock wasn’t a regular cast member on the show, he did appear in an episode, starring alongside Will.
The two went on to star in the movie “Torrance Rises” in 1999. And in 2005, Rock presented Smith a Kids’ Choice Award.
ACADEMY CONDEMNS WILL SMITH’S ACTIONS, LAUNCHING FORMAL REVIEW OF CHRIS ROCK SLAP
Chris Rock appeared on an episode of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” alongside Will Smith in Episode 2, “Get A Job.”
(Jan Sonnenmair/NBCU Photo Bank)
ROCK AND PINKETT SMITH AS CO-STARS
Rock and Pinkett Smith co-starred in the “Madagascar” film released in 2005.
They continued working together in the movie’s sequel, “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” released in 2008, and the third installment, “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” in 2012.
Rock and Pinkett Smith have a history of working together, co-starring in all three of the “Madagascar” films.
(Chris Polk/FilmMagic)
Rock voiced the famous Marty the Zebra, and Pinkett Smith voiced the character Gloria, who played the hippopotamus.
Rock voiced Marty the zebra in “Madagascar,” and Pinkett Smith was the voice of Gloria the hippopotamus.
(Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
ROCK’S 2016 OSCARS MONOLOGUE
Many people have pointed out this wasn’t the first time Rock cracked a joke at Pinkett Smith’s expense.
During the 2016 Oscars, Rock, who was hosting, made one of his first jokes about Pinkett Smith.
In 2016, the “Red Table Talk” host shared that she was boycotting the Oscars due to the show’s lack of diversity. During one of Rock’s narratives, he poked fun at the actress.
Chris Rock poked fun at Jada Pinkett Smith at the 2016 Oscars.
(Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
“Jada said she’s not coming. I was like, ‘Isn’t she on a TV show?’ Jada’s gonna boycott the Oscars? Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited!” Rock said.
At the time, Pinkett Smith did not seem fazed by the jokes Rock made when she was asked about them.
Chris Rock and Will Smith have a long history during which the comedian has cracked jokes about the Smith family.
(Lee Celano/WireImage)
WILL SMITH, CHRIS ROCK’S OSCARS SLAP INCIDENT HEARD IN UNCENSORED VIRAL CLIP
THE SLAP
Fast-forward to the 2022 Oscars, after Rock joked about a sequel to “G.I Jane” and Pinkett Smith’s bald head during the show. Smith, seated in the audience, walked up on stage toward Rock, slapping him in the face before returning to his seat.
Smith then began yelling at Rock, although the Oscars livestream muted his comments.
“Take my wife’s name out of your (expletive) mouth,” Smith told Rock.
The viral moment when Will Smith approached Chris Rock as he was presenting an Oscar and slapped him in the face after he joked about Jada Pinkett Smith.
(Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)
Pinkett Smith has been open about her struggle with hair loss.
The Dolby Theatre was shocked and so was Rock, who appeared to struggle after the encounter to regain his train of thought.
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“Everyone in the mezzanine was standing up to see what was going on — everyone shocked,” according to one observer in attendance at Sunday’s show who spoke to People magazine. “You could hear a pin drop. Everyone was looking at each other like, ‘Is this really happening?'”
Will Smith then returned to his seat, yelling at Chris Rock.
(ABC)
I’M SORRY
Smith has since publicly apologized to Rock.
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,” he said in part. “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. “
“I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my ‘King Richard’ family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.”
Will Smith seemed unfazed by the events earlier in the night as he partied at Variety’s Oscar after-party Sunday night. Smith has since apologized.
(Getty Images)
“I am a work in progress. Sincerely, Will.”
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has since announced it’s launching a formal review into the altercation. The academy has claimed it asked Smith to leave the theater Sunday, but he refused. It also said it has launched “disciplinary proceedings.”
Other reports have claimed that the academy simply “suggested” Smith leave. However, a source told Fox News the academy stands by its initial statement.
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Smith kept his Oscar in hand as he danced with party guests before making an early departure.
(Getty Images)
Rock broke his silence on the incident Wednesday night during his first stand-up show since the Oscars.
“How was your weekend?” Rock asked the sold-out crowd at the Wilbur, a 1,200-seat theater in Boston. “I had a whole list of jokes. I had a whole show I wrote before this weekend, and I’m still kind of processing what happened.
“At some point I’ll talk about that s—, and it will be serious, and it will be funny.”
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On Sunday, Rock was praised for not hitting Smith back after the Oscar slap.
“We need to applaud his professionalism,” one viewer said on Twitter.
On Tuesday, Pinkett Smith shared a message of healing following the slap.
“This is a season for healing and I’m here for it,” the actress shared on her personal Instagram account.
Fox News’ Lauryn Overhultz, Julius Young, Michael Ruiz and Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.
