Will Smith has since apologized for slapping Chris Rock throughout the Oscars.
AFP through Getty Photographs
Actor Will Smith’s now-infamous slapping of comic Chris Rock throughout final weekend’s Oscars broadcast prompted outrage from some viewers — a number of dozen of whom filed formal complaints with a federal watchdog.
The Federal Communications Fee obtained not less than 66 formal complaints from disgruntled viewers over the slap heard ‘around the world.
Smith rushed the stage to slap Rock and continued to hurl profanities after the comic made a joke about his spouse Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair.
The complaints, which have been obtained by TMZ, condemned Smith for getting violent and utilizing foul language — with some calling for each the actor and Academy Awards broadcaster ABC to face penalties over the incident.
“Throughout the broadcast of the Oscars on 3/27/2022, Will Smith went on stage and smacked Chris Rock with an open fist. It's devastating to look at one thing so violent and sudden throughout a present,” a viewer in Corpus Christi, Texas, mentioned.
“I watch the Oscars with my household, it appears one of many few occasion reveals we will all watch collectively. It’s a particular night time for my kids and we rejoice it with a late night time viewing. My five-year-old daughter cried when he slapped Chris Rock, and began shaking when Will Smith foully cursed,” a viewer in Hamden, Connecticut, wrote.
“ABC didn't publish warnings previous to this yr’s Academy Awards which aired on 3/27/22. Not solely did the present comprise a violent assault on air nevertheless it additionally didn't censor the vulgar rant afterwards that explicitly contained the four-letter ‘F’ phrase,” one other viewer from Boeme, Texas, griped in a message to the watchdog company.
It’s unclear if the FCC will take motion over the incident. Smith’s slap aired stay throughout ABC’s broadcast, however the profanity-laced audio was censored due to a 20-second tape delay.
Unedited variations of the incident shortly unfold on social media, and closed captioning on ABC’s broadcast confirmed that Smith yelled, “Preserve my spouse’s title out of your f–king mouth” after returning to his seat.
The FCC didn't instantly return a request for touch upon the complaints.
Some viewers referenced the FCC’s dealing with of the notorious Tremendous Bowl “wardrobe malfunction” involving Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson — an incident that triggered tons of of hundreds of complaints and a hefty positive in opposition to broadcaster CBS that was later nixed.
Previous to the slap, Rock made a joke about Smith’s spouse’s shaved head, quipping, “Jada, I like you, ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it.” Pinkett Smith has been outspoken about her battle with the hair loss situation alopecia.
Smith has since apologized for his conduct, which occurred simply minutes earlier than he received the Oscar for Greatest Actor for his work within the movie “King Richard.”
“My conduct eventually night time’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” Smith wrote in an announcement on Instagram. “Jokes at my expense are part of the job, however a joke about my Jada’s medical situation was an excessive amount of for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.”
Smith faces disciplinary motion from the Academy of Movement Image Arts and Sciences, which mentioned it was probing “violations of the Academy’s Requirements of Conduct.”
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