Chris Rock speaks his truth about Oscars slap-gate in new special ahead of 95th Academy Awards
Academy CEO praises Chris Rock for addressing Oscars slap-gate in new special ahead of 95th Academy Awards
The Oscars has always been a night of glitz and glamour, where Hollywood’s biggest stars come together to celebrate the best in film. However, at the 94th Academy Awards, the event was marred by an infamous incident known as the “Oscars slap-gate”.
Comedian Chris Rock addressed the incident in a recent Netflix special titled “Selective Outrage”, where he called Will Smith “a bitch” and accused Jada Pinkett Smith of starting the beef between them. In the special, Rock also claimed that Pinkett Smith had hurt her husband “way more than he hurt me” by having an affair with rapper August Alsina.
Despite the controversy surrounding Rock’s comments, Bill Kramer, the Academy’s chief executive, praised the comedian for speaking his truth. He stated that the Academy was “better prepared” to handle unexpected events at the upcoming Oscars and was “ready to move forward” from the 2022 incident.
While some may question the timing of Rock’s special and whether it will put the incident back into the public consciousness, Kramer emphasized the importance of the Academy being “nimble and clear” in its response to such events.
To ensure that future incidents are handled more effectively, Kramer previously announced that a “crisis team” would be introduced at this year’s Oscars to mitigate potential surprises.
The 95th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 12 in Los Angeles, and all eyes will be on whether the event will be free of any unexpected incidents.
Despite the controversy surrounding the Oscars slap-gate, it remains one of the most talked-about moments in the event’s history. Searches for “Will Smith slap” were almost five times more than for “Oscars Award Ceremony” on the day of the event and in the three days after. The incident was watched over 108 million times on YouTube, and Smith has been banned from attending any academy events or programs for 10 years.
As Hollywood prepares to celebrate another year of film excellence, it remains to be seen whether the 2023 Oscars will be free of controversy or if it will be another event that goes down in history for all the wrong reasons.
