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The last thing that was on Will Smith’s mind when he slapped Chris Rock on Sunday night was the consequences he might face, according to a close friend.
Less than hour before winning his first-ever Academy Award, the actor marched onto the stage and smacked Rock after the presenter made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, that didn’t sit right with him.
“It was very impulsive…,” a source close to Smith’s family told People magazine on Tuesday. “Jada was the only thing he was concerned about. He didn’t even consider the ramifications or how shocking he would look. He just thought about protecting [his family] and went into that mode of protector and provider.”
“It was an out-of-body moment for him,” the insider added, nothing that the 53-year-old’s loved ones have been “showing him a lot of support” following the altercation.
WILL SMITH’S OSCAR SLAP ‘TAINTS EVERYTHING,’ SAYS ACADEMY MEMBER: ‘IT HAS TARNISHED HIM’
Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, Will Smith, Jaden Smith and Trey Smith attend the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
(Rich Fury/VF22/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
On Tuesday, Pinkett Smith took to Instagram and shared a cryptic message that read: “This is the season for healing. And I’m here for it.”
The drama unfolded during the televised ceremony when Rock, 57, took aim at Pinkett Smith’s shaved head.
“Jada, I love you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it, all right?” the comic joked, referring to the 1997 film starring Demi Moore, who shaved her head to portray a fictional Navy Seal candidate.
Pinkett Smith, 50, revealed in 2018 that she was diagnosed with alopecia. She has often discussed the challenges of hair loss on Instagram and other social media platforms.
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The joke missed, badly.
Smith walked onto the stage from his front-row seat and took a swing at Rock with an open palm, generating a loud smack. Smith walked back to his seat and shouted for Rock to leave Pinkett Smith alone. Rock replied that he was just making a “G.I. Jane” joke — and Smith yelled back at him a second time.
Smith shouted at Rock to “keep my wife’s name out of your f—-ing mouth,” and the crowd hushed as it became clear this was no act.
The moment shocked the Dolby Theatre audience and viewers at home. At the commercial break, presenter Daniel Kaluuya came up to hug Smith, and Denzel Washington escorted him to the side of the stage. The two talked and hugged and Tyler Perry came over to talk as well.
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Bradley Cooper, left, and Will Smith appear in the audience at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Smith shared what Washington told him: “At your highest moment, be careful because that’s when the devil comes for you.”
“I’m hoping the Academy invites me back,” Smith said, as he concluded his on-stage remarks.
After the show, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences issued a statement saying it “does not condone violence of any form.”
The Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement that it was aware of the incident.
“The incident involved one individual slapping another,” the statement read. “The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.”
WILL SMITH’S WIFE JADA PINKETT SMITH SHARES HEALING MESSAGE AFTER CHRIS ROCK SLAP: ‘I’M HERE FOR IT’
On Tuesday, Jada Pinkett Smith took to Instagram and shared a cryptic message.
(Getty Images)
Spokespeople for Smith, Pinkett Smith, and Rock didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
On Monday, Smith issued an apology on Instagram, saying he was “out of line” and that his actions “are not indicative of the man I want to be.”
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive,” wrote Smith. “My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. 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.”
WILL SMITH’S MOTHER EXPRESSES SHOCK OVER CHRIS ROCK OSCARS SLAP: ‘FIRST TIME IN HIS LIFETIME’
Chris Rock is seen backstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2022, in Hollywood, California.
(Photo by Al Seib /A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images)
The star added apologies to the Academy, producers of the telecast, attendees, viewers and the Williams family. Smith was honored Sunday for his role as Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena Williams.
“I am a work in progress,” added Smith.
After calling a board of governors meeting Monday to discuss the incident, the Academy said that it reviewed Smith’s actions and “will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our bylaws, standards of conduct and California law.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
