Will Smith’s Oscars altercation is still generating buzz – and more. Since “the slap”, the Academy has met and banned Smith from all Academy events including the Oscars for 10 years.
The Academy, in a statement to Variety, said “the 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of many individuals instead it was overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behaviour we saw Mr Smith exhibit on stage.”
Will Smith’s peers have had a lot to say about his behaviour.
Tiffany Haddish told People magazine, “when I saw a black man stand up for his wife, that meant so much to me.” She then said, from her own experience where she “has been unprotected”, it felt Will was just doing “what a husband is supposed to do” and that is to “protect you”. Miss Haddish ended the statement by claiming “it was the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen.”
Other celebrities weren’t as accepting. Comedian/actress Amy Schumer posted on Instagram the altercation left her “triggered and traumatised”. Judd Apatow in a now deleted tweet claimed Mr. Smith “could’ve killed” Rock and went on to stereotype him as a “raging violent” black man. And Jada Smith herself claimed that while she was “not upset” with her husband, she “wishes he didn’t get physical” with Chris Rock. The couple are in an agreement that Will “overreacted.”
Will Smith’s career since the slap has been put on hold with Netflix projects and even Bad Boys 4 suspended (irony alert!).
Although it can seem like the world is against him, a group of women with alopecia are standing by Will. Alopecia U.K. in a statement said they “don’t condone violence” but his actions have shed light on the issue of “dealing with unwelcome remarks”. They said, “baldness is an easy target for obvious observational humour”.
Many people with alopecia are applauding Mr. Smith for “standing by his wife” and defending her honour in what seems like a difficult time for them.
Joy, who herself has alopecia, said she does not want to say whether Smith’s actions are right but praises Jada for her confidence and for “embracing alopecia”. She said “A lot of people will say it’s just hair but what really happens on the outside affects what happens on the inside. Especially when it comes to black women, hair is so central to our identity”.
Joy believes that the event shed light on alopecia and got people talking about it. She notes that “There’s a lot of shame that comes with hair loss and the more we speak about it the more we eradicate that shame”.
Many of the public at large are also standing by Will reacting to what seems like an unfair judgement by his peers, and filming companies. Some people believe this is racially motivated.
I personally do not condone violence and I think Will Smith displayed unprofessional behaviour at the Oscars when he slapped Chris Rock, but I also believe both parties are in the wrong.
Mr Rock should not have made that joke at the expense of a woman who may have insecurities. It was foul and insensitive – though Will could’ve handled that situation better by taking it up behind the scenes.
Despite the circumstances, I do not think it is justifiable for Will’s career to be cancelled for as little as a slap. Other celebrities have displayed far worse behaviour with little or no comeback.
I believe Will was trying to protect his wife and defend her honour and that, as people on social media have said, this seemed like the final straw for him. Since Jada’s diagnosis, I believe stress, lack of empathy from the public and peers and people being critical of everything Smith’s family does is enough to drive anyone crazy.
Will Smith’s life has taken a turn for the worse after this small but non-fatal incident. Apparently, the backlash he received was too much for him to bear and he’s now allegedly taking time away to work on his mental health in a rehabilitation facility.
Let’s hope for the swift return of a fresh prince.
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