Will Smith & Chris Rock’s feud explained: what has Rock said about Jada Pinkett-Smith?

29 March 2022, 13:28

Watch the full confrontation between Will Smith and Chris Rock live on the Oscars stage after gag about Jada Pinkett Smith

What joke did Chris Rock make about Jada Pinkett-Smith? What has he said about her in the past? Here's everything we know...

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Will Smith shocked the world after he walked on stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.

Chris Rock "didn’t know" Jada Pinkett-Smith has alopecia

The incident has been trending on social media, with many celebrities, fans and viewers chiming in on what went down.

Here's everything we know about Will Smith and Chris Rock's feud...

What happened between Will Smith and Chris Rock?

On Sunday night (Mar 27) the Oscars 2022 viewers and audience witnessed what has been dubbed ‘the ugliest moment in Oscars history’.
As Chris Rock prepared to present the award for best documentary, he made a joke about Will’s wife Jada Pinkett-Smith.

The Hollywood actress 50, who shaved head in July 2021, after struggling with alopecia, was made fun of for her bald head by Chris Rock.
The comedian referred to her as ‘GI Jane’ – a film where Demi Moore plays a character who is bald.

Will Smith (R) hit Chris Rock (L) on stage at the Oscars 2022. Picture: Getty

King Richard actor Will, who first appeared to laugh at the joke, noticed Jada's reaction to the joke, which infuriated him.
He then walked up to Chris and slapped the comedian before shouting: ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f**king mouth’ when he returned to his seat.
Rock calmly responded, “That was the greatest night in the history of television” — and agreed he would not mention Pinkett Smith again.

Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith have been married since 31 December 1997. Picture: Getty

Since then, Will apologised to Chris Rock in a lengthy Instagram statement.
He penned: "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally" he wrote.

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Will continued: "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness"
Will closed his statement by writing: ""I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world.
I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us. I am a work in progress. Sincerely, Will".
Chris Rock has not yet publicly responded to the incident.
What did Chris Rock say about Jada Pinkett-Smith?

Preparing to present Best Documentary, Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith.
“Jada, I love you, ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it,” Rock had joked onstage.

Jada Pinkett-Smith revealed her struggled with alopecia in a 2018 Red Table Talk episode. Picture: Instagram

The joke was a reference to Lieutenant Jordan O’Neil, played by Demi Moore – who is selected as the candidate to undergo the gruelling training regime in the film.
Moore sports a bald head and is given the nickname of G.I. Jane, referring to G.I. Joe – the male military action star based on the Hasbro toy.

G.I. Jane is an action movie that featured Demi Moore as the lead character named Lieutenant Jordan O'Neil. It was released in 1997. Picture: Walt Disney Studios
What else has Chris Rock said about Jada Pinkett-Smith in the past?

In 2016, Rock hosted the Academy Awards and made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith when delivering his monologue.
The comedian joked that was boycotting the ceremony because of a lack of diversity.
“Jada said she’s not coming, protest. I was like, ‘Isn’t she on a TV show?’ Jada’s going to boycott the Oscars? Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited!” he said, which prompted laughs from the audience.

Chris Rock jokes about Jada Pinkett-Smith at the Oscars 2016. Picture: Getty

Rock also said Pinkett Smith was annoyed that her husband, Will, wasn’t nominated that year for his role in “Concussion.”
“It’s not fair that Will was this good and didn’t get nominated. You’re right. It’s also not fair that Will was paid $20 million for ‘Wild Wild West,’ OK?” he said, referencing what is considered to be one of Smith's flops.