‘The View’ Star Whoopi Goldberg Weighs in on Will Smith Oscar Scuffle: ‘He Snapped’

News sites and social media are still abuzz with the Will Smith–Chris Rock ruckus from the Oscars. Discussing the hot topic following the epic exchange, The View panelists had their own take on the tussle between the two A-listers. Academy Award winner and former host of the Oscars ceremony Whoopi Goldberg shared her opinion while noting Smith’s statue would most likely not be revoked.

Whoopi Goldbert says Will Smith ‘overreacted’

By now even those on a desert island have heard the full story of Smith’s now-legendary slapping of Rock. After the SNL alum made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett, Smith walked on stage and planted a quick hand to Rock’s face. Smith followed it up by yelling a warning from the audience, with some of it needing to be censored.

When discussing the dustup on The View, Goldberg noted that the Hollywood couple has been the subject of comedians’ material in the past. As recent as the 2022 Academy Awards telecast, Regina Hall quipped about the couple’s rumored open marriage.

“I think it was a lot of stuff probably built up,” Goldberg said on The View. “I think he overreacted – I think he had one of those moments where it was like [g****** it], just stop. I get it, not everybody acts the way we would like them to act under pressure. And he snapped.”

Goldberg credited Rock for not escalating the situation, and noted that Smith’s Academy Award for Best Actor will most likely remain with the King Richard star.

“I do think it’s wonderful that Chris did not take it to that other place that he could have done,” The View co-host remarked. “We’re not going to take that Oscar from [Smith]. There will be consequences I’m sure, but I don’t think that’s what they’re going to do, particularly because Chris said, ‘Listen, I’m not pressing any charges.’”

Sunny Hostin had a different ‘View’

While Goldberg seemed a bit forgiving of Smith’s actions, co-host Sunny Hostin wasn’t cutting the Concussion star any slack. Though Smith made a formal apology to the Academy and his fellow nominees, he made no verbal amends with Rock.

“I was embarrassed for Will, I was horrified for Chris Rock,” Hostin said. “I thought Chris was the one that deserved an apology for taking the high road. He was slapped in front of millions of people internationally, and he took the high road in his response.”

The View panelist pointed out that such behavior wouldn’t be accepted from children and shouldn’t be tolerated from an adult.

“I think Will was immature, I think he was childish and he was violent,” Hostin commented. “That’s something we tell our children not to do – our children would be suspended from school for doing something like that.”

Joy Behar noted ‘danger’ to comedians

Co-host Ana Navarro referenced how Rock’s joke was aimed at Pinkett’s closely cropped hair style. Pinkett adopted the look due to her ongoing alopecia, which she has been open about in the past. Despite Rock’s treading on the sensitive topic, Navarro still felt the violent act by Smith was out of line.

“It was men behaving badly,” Navarro said, adding that she thought Rock’s joke was in “poor taste“. “Hitting somebody is a crime, a crime of assault. In context, Jada has alopecia and that’s why she shaved her head. She’s been very public about it, very vulnerable about it… but nothing, nada condones violence at this point. Nada.”

Joy Behar, a longtime panelist of The View and former standup comic, saw the incident as a warning for those making a living in comedy.

“I was thinking comedians are in danger everywhere,” Behar said. “They want us to be edgy, to go out there and say what everyone’s thinking… and then they get mad. If you’re upset about something, walk off.”