A joke, a slap, then chaos: How Will Smith’s attack on Chris Rock upended the Oscars
LOS ANGELES — “Will Smith just smacked the s— out of me!”
Standing at the front of the stage, an unopened red envelope with the winner of the documentary feature Oscar in his hand, Chris Rock looked stunned. The gasping crowd gathered in the Dolby Theatre — and the global audience of millions watching the 94th Academy Awards at home — shared his utter disbelief Sunday night.
Had one of the biggest stars in Hollywood — a man famous around the world for his effortless cool and megawatt smile, an actor who was favored to win the lead actor award this very same night for in the feel-good “King Richard” — just clocked an Oscar presenter on live TV over a joke?
No one knew how to react. The sudden burst of violence had happened so quickly. And certainly nothing like
