Will Smith has accepted the best actor award moments after storming up on stage and hitting Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.
After Chris made a joke about Will’s wife Jada Pinkett-Smith, the King Richard actor swung a punch at the comedian before telling him: ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f**king mouth’.
As he won the award for best actor, Will apologised to the Academy and his fellow nominees, before saying: ‘Love will make you do crazy things’.
‘Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,’ Will said.
‘At this time in my life, this moment, I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world.
‘Making this film I got to protect Aunjanue Ellis who is one of the strongest, most delicate people I’ve ever met.’
Will added: ‘I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people.
‘I know to do what we do, you have to take abuse, you have to take people talk crazy. In this business you have to have people disrespecting and you have to smile and act like that’s okay.’
He continued: ‘I want to apologise to the Academry, I want to apologise to my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I’m not crying for winning an award. It’s not about winning an award. It’s about being able to shine a light on all the people…’
‘Art imitates life, I look like the crazy father just like they said about Richard Williams,’ he laughed. ‘But love will make you do crazy things.’
Minutes earlier, Will swung a punch at Chris.
The comedian was on stage to present an award for best documentary, which went to Summer of Soul.
However, things took a turn when he directed a comment to Jada, who was in the crowd beside her husband.
‘Jada, can’t wait for GI Jane 2,’ he said, referring to her buzz cut – something the couple didn’t look amused by.
Will then stormed the stage and appeared to swing at the comic, before walking back to his seat.
‘Oh Wow. Will Smith just smacked the s**t out of me,’ a shaken Chris told the crowd.
‘Wow dude. It was a GI Jane joke.’
‘Keep my wife’s name out your f**king mouth,’ Will furiously yelled from his seat, as the audience fell silent.
‘I’m going to, okay… I’ll keep going? That was, er, the greatest night in the history of television,’ Chris responded.
‘So we are here to give a documentary out, to give an Oscar for best documentary…’
Oscars 2022 winners
Best Picture
CODA
Actress in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Actor in a Leading Role
Will Smith – King Richard
Directing
Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog
Music (Original Song)
No Time To Die from No Time to Die – Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
Documentary Feature
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
CODA – Siân Heder
Writing (Original Screenplay)
Belfast – Sir Kenneth Branagh
Costume Design
Cruella – Jenny Beavan
International Feature Film
Drive My Car (Japan)
Actor in a Supporting Role
Troy Kotsur – Coda
Animated Feature Film
Encanto
Visual Effects
Dune – Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer
Cinematography
Dune – Greig Fraser
Actress in a Supporting Role
Ariana DeBose – West Side Story
Makeup and Hairstyling
The Eyes of Tammy Faye – Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh
Production Design
Dune – Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos
Film Editing
Dune – Joe Walker
Music (Original Score)
Dune – Hans Zimmer
Live Action Short Film
The Long Goodbye – Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed
Animated Short Film
The Windshield Wiper – Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sanchez
Documentary Short Subject
The Queen of Basketball – Ben Proudfoot
Best Sound
Dune – Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett
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