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About 45 minutes later, when accepting his
first Oscar for best actor for his role in "King Richard," Smith
apologized to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
and his fellow nominees in a tear-filled speech, but not to
Rock.
"I want to be a vessel for love," Smith said during his
acceptance speech.
The episode upstaged the rest of the 3-1/2 hour show, and was
sure to become one of the most memorable moments in 94 years of
Academy Awards.
It may cost Smith his sterling reputation in Hollywood, but not
a criminal charge, at least for now, as Los Angeles police said
Rock declined to file a police report.
The incident began when Rock was roasting some of the nominees
and made fun of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
"Jada, I love you. 'G.I. Jane II,' can't wait to see it," he
said, referencing the 1997 film "G.I. Jane" in which actress
Demi Moore shaved her head.
It was unclear whether Rock, a comedian and actor, was aware
that Smith's wife suffers from a disease that causes hair loss.
But Smith quickly stood up and marched toward the stage to
confront the comedian.
Rock had his hands behind his back when Smith threw an open hand
at his face that produced an audible smack, and in a form
befitting an action movie star. Rock somehow stayed on his feet.
"Oh, wow! Wow! Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me," Rock
said as the audience laughed, thinking it was a skit.
Smith then made what may become one of the most repeated phrases
of Oscar history when he shouted, "Keep my wife's name out of
your fucking mouth."
Stunned by what had just happened, Rock told Smith it was only a
joke, but Smith shouted his phrase a second time, louder and
more deliberately.
At that point, many stars in the audience audibly gasped or fell
silent. Spectators in the mezzanine stood up and craned their
necks to try to catch a glimpse.
Rock struggled to rescue the situation and get the show back on
track. "That was the greatest night in the history of
television," he said to a smattering of applause and whistles.
The audio from the show, broadcast on a time-delay of a few
seconds in the United States, appeared to have been cut from the
live transmission for many viewers because of the language. But
it was audible in some broadcasts, for example in Japan and
Australia.
Jada Pinkett Smith told Billboard in December she has been
battling the autoimmune disorder alopecia, which can cause hair
loss and balding.
Rock has hosted the Oscars twice, in 2005, when he received
mixed reviews, and again in 2016 when, during the #OscarsSoWhite
protests, he confronted the Academy over the lack of Black
representation.
Smith, 53, has been one of Hollywood's most charming and
bankable stars, and was known for his clean rap lyrics when he
shot to fame in the 1990s in the television sitcom "The Fresh
Prince of Bel-Air."
He took on mostly comedy and action roles early in his movie
career before expanding into drama. He had twice before been
nominated for best actor, for 2001's "Ali" and the 2006 movie
"The Pursuit of Happyness."
Smith won this time for playing Richard Williams, the father of
tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
"Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family," Smith
said, accepting the award through tears in an obvious reference
to what had just taken place.
Smith did not mention Rock in his acceptance speech but said:
"Art imitates life - I look like the crazy father, just like
they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do
crazy things."
Smith, who laced his speech with religious references, also told
the audience what fellow nominee Denzel Washington said to him
moments earlier: "At your highest moment, be careful, that's
when the devil comes for you."
And his final remark before leaving the stage was, "I hope the
Academy invites me back."
The Academy did not say whether Smith would be invited back for
future shows, but said on Twitter, "The Academy does not condone
violence of any form."
In a statement sent to media, and without naming names, Los
Angeles police said investigators were aware of the incident,
but that, "The individual involved has declined to file a police
report."
Should Rock change his mind, however, Smith could be in
jeopardy.
"If the involved party desires a police report at a later date,
LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report," the
statement said.
(Reporting by Frank McGurty in Los Angeles and Daniel Trotta in
Carlsbad, Calif.; Editing by Kieran Murray and Howard Goller)
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