Steve Harvey Has Brutal Words for Will Smith Over Oscars Slap
The Academy Awards have been the site of celebrity achievement, but they have also been a place for political commentary and some serious controversy. With that history in mind, there’s room for high emotions.
Still, this year’s Oscars will go down in history for the shocking moment that Will Smith slapped Chris Rock after the comedian — on stage to present an award — cracked a joke at Smith’s wife’s expense. Weeks later, the public is still processing their feelings about the incident, and celebrity voices join in on the debate.
Will Smith’s slap overshadowed other Oscars news
As is customary for the Academy Awards, celebrities take turns presenting each Oscar. Chris Rock took the stage at the 94th Academy Awards on March 28, 2022, to present an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. The award would eventually go to Questlove for the documentary Summer of Soul. Still, the win would be overshadowed by what happened before Rock could open the envelope and make the big reveal.
Some light ribbing and banter are expected at the Oscars, but some believe Rock went too far when he mocked Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head. Cracking a joke that she was preparing for a G.I. Jane sequel, Pinkett Smith’s face dropped as she rolled her eyes. Seeing his wife’s frustration, Will Smith sprang into action, storming the stage and approaching Rock. When Smith got to the comedian, he reached out and slapped him, a stunning move that sent waves through the audience both at the awards and at home.
Social media went wild with both jokes and critical hot takes, and when Smith later took the stage to claim his own Oscar win (for King Richard), the earlier incident overshadowed that moment, too. Everything else about the 94th Academy Awards took a back seat as it seemed like the whole world had an opinion on what went down.
Steve Harvey weighed in with harsh opinion against Will Smith
Among those who have weighed in with their thoughts on the explosive moment between Will Smith and Chris Rock is fellow comedian Steve Harvey.
As Yahoo! News reports, Harvey took a moment in the spotlight to address the slap and share his views. Speaking at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Harvey pulled no punches in making it clear he thought Smith was in the wrong.
“You slap T.D. Jakes, he’ll turn the other cheek. You slap me? If you sit back in your seat, Jada [Will’s wife] would have to move out of the way. That’s the type of Christian I am,” Harvey explained. Reporters at the event said Harvey went on to say Smith’s actions were a “punk move” before expressing a loss of “respect” for the actor.
Celebrities are as torn as the public over the Oscars slap
Harvey is certainly not the only celebrity who has offered a point of view on the slap. The responses have been all over the place — mirroring the disagreement the general public has over who was in the wrong.
Wanda Sykes has had one of the most vocal opinions. As one of the hosts for the evening, Sykes felt disrespected by the row and expressed feeling “sickened” by the feud. Amy Schumer (another host for the evening) likewise called herself “traumatized” by the event, as Vogue reports.
Others took a more muted stance. Daniel Radcliffe was asked about his take during a U.K. morning show to promote his new film. He said, “I’m just so already dramatically bored of hearing people’s opinions about it that I just don’t want to be another opinion adding to it,” as NBC News reports.
Still, others understand and even applaud Smith’s response. Tiffany Haddish spoke to People and explained, “When I saw a Black man stand up for his wife. That meant so much to me.”
