Featured Image Credit: ABC
Topics: Chris Rock, Will Smith, Oscars
Anish Vij
Chris Rock has made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith at the Oscars before, a newly resurfaced clip has shown.
Will Smith slapping the comedian at last night's Oscars has unofficially become 2022's most 'viral moment of the year' so far, but a clip from the 2016 ceremony shows it wasn't the first time Rock has taken a dig at Smith's wife.
At the time, it seems that Rock was toying with the idea of actors boycotting the Oscars because of racial allegations aimed at the Academy.
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The 57-year-old joked: "What happened this year? What happened? People went mad.
"No Spike got mad. [sic] got mad and Jada went mad. Will went mad, everybody went mad.
"You know, it's great like Jada got mad. Jada says she's not coming. Protesting, I'm like 'isn't she on a TV show?'.
"Jada is gonna boycott the Oscars – Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna's panties.
"I wasn't invited. Oh, that's not an invitation I will turn down."
Well, fast-forward to last night's Academy Awards on March 27, 2022 – Rock made a joke about about Jada, suggesting she looked like 'GI Jane'.
Despite seemingly laughing at first, Smith walked on stage and shockingly slapped Rock right across the face.
When getting back to his seat, Smith shouted: "Keep my wife's name out your f**king mouth."
In what was an eventful night for Men in Black actor, Smith also picked up his first-ever Oscar taking home the Best Actor accolade for his leading role in King Richard.
The actor later addressed the incident in his speech, saying: "I want to apologise to the academy. I want to apologise to all my fellow nominees.
"Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things."
The Oscars responded to the incident via Twitter, writing: "The Academy does not condone violence of any form.
"Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world."
The Los Angeles Police Department also responded to the incident, as a rep told the NY Post: "LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program.
"The incident involved one individual slapping another. 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."