Oscars 2022: Wanda Sykes Says Chris Rock Apologized to Her After Will Smith Incident
The Oscars were held this past Sunday and everyone is talking about the incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock. Nobody is talking about the actual movies. This moment has taken the internet by storm with everyone sharing their own opinions on the matter. One of the hosts of the Oscars, Wanda Sykes, has now shared her thoughts on what happened between Rock and Smith and how she is processing it.
What happened at the Oscars between Will Smith and Chris Rock?
The Oscars had plenty of historic moments including CODA winning Best Picture and Jane Campion winning Best Director for The Power of the Dog. However, the moment that everyone is talking about is an encounter between Smith and Rock.
During the ceremony, Rock came out to present Best Documentary, which went to Questlove for Summer of Soul. Before he announced the winner, he told some jokes. One of which was aimed at Jada Pinkett Smith. Rock made a joke about her bald appearance, telling her he can’t wait for G.I. Jane 2.
Jada was not amused by this joke as she has been very open in the past about her experience with alopecia, a disorder that causes hair loss. However, no one was more unamused than Will Smith, who walked on stage and smacked Rock in the face. He then sat back down and began cursing very loudly at Rock. The incident shocked Rock, the audience, and the millions of people watching.
Wanda Sykes says Chris Rock apologized to her after the Oscars
Wanda Sykes co-hosted the 2022 Oscars with Regina Hall and Amy Schumer. The trio had a bunch of funny sketches including one where Sykes came out dressed as Smith’s character in King Richard. Unfortunately, everything the trio did was upstaged by Smith’s actions. In an appearance on Ellen, Sykes told Ellen Degeneres that Rock apologized to her for overshadowing her work.
“The first thing he said was ‘I’m so sorry.’ And I’m like, ‘Why are you apologizing?’” Sykes said. “And he’s like, ‘It was supposed to be your night. You and Amy and Regina, y’all were doing such a great job. I’m so sorry. This is now going to be about this.’”
Later, Rock did share an apology for telling the joke while Smith also issued an apology for his actions as well. Sykes acknowledges that Smith did apologize to Rock, but she is waiting for one herself.
“I know he apologized to Chris but we were the hosts,” Sykes explained. “This is our house. We’re inviting you in…We’re gonna make sure you have a good time, and no one has apologized to us.”
Wanda Sykes calls the feud ‘sickening’
Sykes also reflected on how she personally felt witnessing Smith slap Rock. She not only called it “sickening”, but she also couldn’t believe that the Academy was still allowing Smith to stay and give a speech after winning Best Actor for King Richard.
“It was sickening,” Sykes told DeGeneres. “I physically felt ill, and I’m still a little traumatized by it. And for them to let him stay in that room and enjoy the rest of the show and accept his award, I was like, ‘How gross is this? This is just the wrong message.’”
There are conflicting reports that Smith refused to leave, but it’s unclear whether he was even formally asked to leave. Rock elected not to press charges after the event occurred. However, the Academy is still investigating the situation and figuring out the best way to hold Smith accountable.
