What caused Will Smith to explode and slap Chris Rock at the Oscars

In a wild unscripted Oscars moment, Will Smith stormed the stage and slapped Chris Rock over a joke the comedian made about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

In unbelievable scenes, actor Will Smith stormed the Oscars stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock across the face after the comedian mocked his wife’s hair.

After Rock quipped that he “couldn’t wait” to see the sequel of G.I Jane, appearing to mock Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, the camera panned to the Red Table Talk host rolling her eyes and glancing sideways at Smith.

Suddenly, Smith jumped to his feet, marched up to Rock and slapped him, before returning to his seat and yelling, “KEEP MY WIFE’S NAME OUT YOUR F**KING MOUTH” as the crowd sat stunned.

Rock then uttered that the altercation was “the greatest night in the history of television”.

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Chris Rock appeared shocked as a furious Smith unleashed. Picture: Getty Images.

Afterwards, Smith’s publicist was seen whispering into his ear, rightfully expecting an enormous reaction to the moment. Fellow actors Tyler Perry and Denzel Washington were also seen comforting him.

Will Smith's publicist talking to him during commercial break. #Oscarspic.twitter.com/Aa0e6j8Qyr

— Clayton Davis - Standing with 🇺🇦 (@ByClaytonDavis) March 28, 2022

Following the moment in which Will Smith seemingly slapped Chris Rock at the #Oscars, Smith is comforted by Tyler Perry and Denzel Washington. He appears to wipe away tears before rejoining his wife pic.twitter.com/TyXPQe1WGY

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 28, 2022

In a further twist to the saga, minutes later Smith was named best actor.

While accepting his first ever Oscar for his role in King Richard, in which he played the father of Venus and Serena Williams, he apologised to the Academy with tears streaming down his face.

“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” he began his speech.

“Art imitates life... I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams,” he later joked, adding that “love makes you do crazy things.”

He concluded: “I hope the Academy invites me back,” to laughs from the crowd.

Smith apologised for his outburst while accepting his award.

Pinkett Smith shaved her head last year after struggling from worsening hair loss.

The talk show host has been open about her battle with alopecia over the past three years, eventually opting to shave all her hair off with the help of her daughter, Willow, in July 2021.

In a video posted to Instagram in December, Pinkett Smith told fans, “Now at this point, I can only laugh… y’all know I’ve been struggling with alopecia.

“Just all of a sudden, one day…” she added, pointing to a hairless line on her scalp.

“So, it just showed up like that. Now, this is going to be a little bit more difficult for me to hide. So, I thought I’d just share it so y’all not asking any questions,” Pinkett Smith explained.

Pinkett Smith shaved her head last year. Picture: Getty Images.

Willow — who also now rocks a shaved head — was the first to show off her mother’s look, sharing a selfie with her mum last year.

Jada reposted the snap with the caption: “Willow made me do it because it was time to let go BUT … my 50’s are ‘bout to be Divinely lit with this shed.”

Jada and Will's musician daughter Willow proudly shared her mum's new look on Instagram last July.

Alopecia causes drastic hair loss. It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or a normal part of aging.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith on the Oscars red carpet. Picture: Getty.

It’s not the first time Will Smith has condemned a joke made at his family’s expense at an awards ceremony.

Earlier this month, the actor responded to Rebel Wilson’s controversial joke at the Baftas - though with much more subtlety.

The Aussie actress, 42, who hosted the awards ceremony, said in response to Will scooping the Leading Actor prize for his role in King William: “I thought his best performance over the past year was being OK with all his wife’s boyfriends.”

Will, 53, who snubbed the Baftas in favour of the Critics’ Choice Awards in LA, said in response: “There’s never been infidelity in our marriage. Jada and I talk about everything, and we have never surprised one another with anything, ever.”

In September he ended years of cheating speculation, swinging claims and affair rumours by revealing he and Jada, 50, are in an open relationship.

The Hollywood stars started to explore polyamoury after they were “both miserable” and realised “clearly something had to change”.

Will confirmed they both had flings, after Jada openly discussed her “entanglement” with rapper August Alsina in 2020.

The couple share two children, Jaden and Willow, while Jada is stepmother to Trey, Will’s son from a previous marriage.