Oscars 2023: Jimmy Kimmel Hilariously Trashes Will Smith
A year after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the 2022 Oscars, people are still talking about it. Even Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted the 2023 Oscars, joked about it, saying there might be trouble should he be attacked.
"We want you to have fun, feel safe and, most importantly, we want me feel safe, so we have strict policies in place," said Jimmy Kimmel.
He added: "If anyone in this theater commits an act of violence at any point during the show, you will be awarded the Oscar for best actor and permitted to give a 19-minute long speech. But seriously, the academy has a crisis team in place. If anything unpredictable or violent happens during the show, sit there and do absolutely nothing. Maybe even give the assailant a hug."
This was in reference to what happened last year when Will Smith slapped host Chris Rock after the "Saturday Night Live" alum joked about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, being bald.
Rock apparently did not know that Jada suffers from hair loss due to alopecia. Smith still won the Oscar for Best Actor that night and was even given a 19-minute speech while everyone clapped.
Smith was criticized for not using that speech to apologize to Rock. But a day after the incident, Smith took to Instagram to apologize to the comedian, claiming he was wrong and embarrassed by what he did.
The Academy has banned the actor from attending the Oscars, whether in-person or virtual, for at least 10 years. However, the Academy did not ask Smith to return the Oscars trophy for "King Richard."
Jimmy Kimmel also quipped that whoever wants to slap him would have to go through a lot of celebrities, including Michael B. Jordan and Michelle Yeoh, both of whom play characters who know how to fight, as well as Andrew Garfield and even Stephen Spielberg.
He ended his joke by saying that his assailant would have to go through his head of security, Guillermo, before panning to director Guillermo del Toro, with Kimmel saying that the camera panned to the wrong Guillermo, and instead pointed to his sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez.
Film Academy President Says Response to Slap was 'Inadequate'
Before the show began, Janet Yang, president of the Film Academy, admitted that last year's response to Will Smith's slap on host Chris Rock was "inadequate."
Yang also said on the red carpet that she is "so excited" to be moving on with the show, concluding that "we're prepared," according to Polygon.
The Academy was criticized by many who said they did not do much about the incident and only gave Will Smith a slap on the wrist. While Smith cannot attend the awards show, he can still be nominated.
Chris Rock's Response to Will Smith's Slap Happened Almost a Year Later
Chris Rock waited almost a year to finally talk about "the slap," addressing it with his Netflix comedy special, "Chris Rock: Selective Outrage."
The comedian only referenced the slap in his opening but finally let loose in the final 10 minutes skewering Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, saying that the slap was more about the couple's relationship than the "G.I. Jane" joke he said during the Oscars last year.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
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