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Will Smith slapped gala host Chris Rock for joking about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith’s alopecia. This action opened a debate on social networks about the actor’s behavior and about the limits that humor should or should not have. The Academy is studying possible sanctions against Smith, who has publicly apologized.
Will Smith was the protagonist of the 94th edition of the Oscars, but not for winning a statuette for best actor for his leading role in ‘King Richard’, but for having attacked comedian Chris Rock, after he joked about the hair of his wife, who suffers from alopecia.
While presenting the Hollywood Academy Award for Best Documentary, Rock joked about Jada Pinkett-Smith, tossing in the line, “Jada, I love you, GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see it.”
With this joke, he was referring to the popular movie ‘Lieutenant O’Neil’ (GI Jane), in which the protagonist, actress Demi Moore, appears shaved. Smith then went onstage and went straight to the comedian to slap him, and from his chair he yelled at her to keep his wife’s “name” out of her “mouth.” her. The room was stunned.
Jada Pinkett-Smith suffers from alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss. In her social networks, the actress has spoken about it and has expressed the discomfort that she has caused her, as well as the process with which she has faced the situation. Although in her first statements about it she claimed to have lived “a terrifying moment”, over time she has tried to make visible and dignify female alopecia with her speech.
The fine line between humor and offense
When Smith was called to collect the award for best actor of the year for his role in ‘King Richard’, he tried to explain why he reacted violently. “In my life I am asked to love people, to protect people and to be a river for my people”, referring to the story of Richard Williams (character he played in the film for which he received recognition) .
After that, there are those who have expressed their support for Smith for defending his wife in the midst of his efforts to face and socialize his situation, others, however, have rejected the violence with which the actor responded to an unpleasant joke.
Among those who were sympathetic to the artist was the television presenter Karamo Brown, who said he understood that Smith had tried to protect “those he loves”, although he assured that he does not approve of “violence or anything like that”.
And although Smith apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees for what happened, he did not address Chris Rock at the time, something that outraged many who witnessed the attack, including director and actor Rob Reiner, who considered that Smith owes a “huge apology” to the comedian.
Meanwhile, there were those who took advantage of the situation to joke. Among them, the television presenter Conan O’Brien. “I just saw the Will Smith slap. Does anyone have a late night show they can lend me just for tomorrow?” he said on his Twitter account.
Others preferred to refrain from commenting. “I’m not going to talk about it,” said Ahmir Thompson, the director of “Summer of Soul,” which won the Oscar for best documentary.
The Academy studies possible punishments for Smith, who finally apologized to Chris Rock
Unlike Chris Rock, who has not filed charges against Will Smith, the Hollywood Academy reported having “officially started a formal review of the incident” and indicated that it would report “further actions and consequences” in accordance with the statutes, rules of conduct and California law.
In the statement, the institution included a copy of its code of conduct, which restricts “unsolicited physical contact” and requires that its members treat each other with respect, among other things. The last update of this regulation was in 2017, in the midst of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment.
Among the punishments that could be meted out to the American actor are the suspension of his Academy membership, totally or temporarily, severe disapproval for his behavior or even the withdrawal of the prize he won on Sunday.
Hours after the statement was made public, Smith made a post on his Instagram account, apologizing to the Academy and Rock and saying his behavior had been “unacceptable and inexcusable.”
The actor also said that violence is “poisonous” and “destructive” in all its forms and admitted that jokes at his expense are “part of his job”. However, he assured that “a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much” for him and explained that he had reacted emotionally to it.
With EFE and AP
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