Was Will Smith wrong to slap Chris Rock? Should he lose his Oscar? What polls found
Will Smith won an Oscar for the first time in his life after more than 30 years of acting — but not before stepping on stage and slapping comedian Chris Rock in the face and shocking millions of viewers.
A joke about Smith’s wife’s shaved head initially prompted a smile from him, according to a video of the Academy Awards, while Jada Pinkett Smith is seen rolling her eyes. But seconds after, Smith is seen striding up on stage and hitting Rock before yelling “keep my wife’s name out your ------- mouth,” McClatchy News reported.
The slap during the March 27 awards ceremony has since sparked conversations across the globe, including mixed condemnation of both Smith and Rock.
Three in five Americans, 61%, think that Smith was in the wrong to walk on stage and hit Rock, according to a YouGov poll conducted March 28.
It surveyed 1,319 adults and had a margin of error of roughly 3 percentage points.
However, even more Americans, 70%, think that Smith should still be allowed to keep his Oscar despite his actions, according to the poll.
Rapper Nicki Minaj commented on the matter on social media, just like many other celebrities, and expressed appreciation for Rock but ultimately came to Smith’s defense.
“I love Chris Rock. I don’t think he would’ve made that joke had he known what Jada recently shared — but between him & the whole team @ the #Oscars you mean to tell me not ONE of y’all heard this woman just share this heartbreaking story?,” Minaj wrote on Twitter March 28.
Minaj referred to Pinkett Smith’s alopecia condition that causes sudden hair loss and wrote “while y’all seeing the joke he’s seeing her pain,” in a subsequent tweet. Rock made a G.I. Jane movie joke about Pinkett Smith that seemed to compare her to actress Demi Moore, who had a shaved head in the 1997 film.
Another poll conducted by Blue Rose Research on March 28 offered a different picture compared to the YouGov poll. It found more support for Smith compared to Rock.
When asked “which side was more wrong,” 52.3% of respondents answered Rock was in the wrong in regards to his joke about Pinkett Smith while 47.7% said Smith was for his reaction.
The survey included a sample of 2,162 adults. The margin of error was +/- 2.1 %, David Shor, the head of Blue Rose Research, told McClatchy News.
Shor also tweeted an electoral college-inspired map summarizing the poll’s findings.
Meanwhile, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a formal statement speaking out against Smith hitting Rock.
“The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show,” it said, NBC reported.
“We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our bylaws, standards of conduct and California law.”
The YouGov poll also found that most Americans, 59%, are against hitting someone “for something they’ve said.”
Rock has decided to not press charges against Smith, McClatchy News reported.
This story was originally published March 30, 2022 at 3:38 PM with the headline "Was Will Smith wrong to slap Chris Rock? Should he lose his Oscar? What polls found."
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