Will Smith and Chris Rock are the talk of the town today after things got physical on the Oscars stage. What appeared to be an innocuous joke about Jada Pinkett Smith resulted in Will Smith slapping Chris Rock in the face on national television. Rock was evidently stunned while Smith told him not to mention his wife again.
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Diddy took the stage afterward to honor The Godfather and offered to make amends between Smith and Rock at the afterparty. “I did not know this year would be the most exciting Oscars ever,” said Diddy. “Okay, Will and Chris, we’re going to solve that like family at the Gold Party. Okay? But right now, we’re moving with love.”
Turns out that Diddy kept his word and made sure that Will Smith and Chris Rock were on good terms before the party began. In a comment provided to Page Six, Diddy confirmed that they’ve made amends and moved forward from the Oscars slap. “That’s not a problem. That’s over. I can confirm that,” he said. “It’s all love,” he continued. “They’re brothers.”
Smith addressed the slap during his acceptance speech for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard. “I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all of my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment, and I’m not crying for winning an award,” Smith said. “It’s not about winning an award for me; it’s about being able to shine a light on all of the people.”
Chris Rock also declined to file a police report over the incident, so it truly seems like it’s water under the bridge.