Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at last Sunday's Oscars ceremony appeared to catch almost everybody by surprise, but not comedian Shawn Wayans, who seems to have predicted the incident more than 20 years ago.
Smith's slap sent shockwaves around the world, with an uncensored video of the moment breaking a YouTube record for views in a single day.
The altercation was triggered by a joke that Rock made about Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith's wife, which referenced her shaved head.
Since then, amid all of the earnest, condemnatory posts from Hollywood celebrities and talking heads alike, plenty of people managed to find some humour in the sorry affair.
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Some even managed to unearth an old clip which appears to show comedian Shawn Wayans of Little Man fame predicting Rock one day getting hit on stage.
The footage is from the 2000 MTV MVA awards, attended by the likes of Eminem, Britney Spears and Snoop Dog.
On stage, Wayans at one point breaks into a Chris Rock impression, proceeding to roast the room in the style of the Everybody Hates Chris star.
Marlon Wayans, Shawn's brother, was one of the first people to re-share the clip from 22 years ago, and it makes for eerie viewing.
As you can see below, Wayans, impersonating Rock, is rushed on stage by the likes of Brittney Spears for his jokes at their expense. Now that is what you call foreshadowing...
Twitter users couldn't help but notice the uncanny similarities. “Always been ahead of y’all time,” one user agreed on Marlon’s post.
“Not Marlon Wayans predicting the slap. I’m weak," another replied. One fan weighed in with: “Will Smith was laughing his a** off on this, too!” pointing out that the star of King Richard was present at the 2000 award show too.
“Shawn sounds just like Chris Rock," another claimed, commenting on Wayans' impression of the New York comic.
Noting his appreciation for both Smith and Rock, Marlon Wayans spoke to People about the infamous slap, and how he hopes the matter can now be put to bed.
“Chris Rock, he’s always Chris Rock; you’ve got to expect that from Chris Rock," Wayans said.
"And sometimes when you’re best friends, worst things happen, and I wish it didn’t happen. … [I] hope they seek out and work it out," he said of the pair."
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Topics: Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Oscars, Chris Rock
Tom Fenton