Will Smith slapping Chris Rock will go down as the most shocking Oscar moment

The Atlantic

Forget the 2017 Best Picture mix-up or David Niven's quip in response to a streaker in 1974. Smith slapping Rock is, "without hyperbole, the most shocking moment in Oscars history," says David Sims of the moment that ABC censored (but which Australian TV and Japanese TV aired uncensored). Sims adds: "Maybe even more surreal was the effort to then get the show back on track...It was unsettling enough that Smith, one of the most famous actors alive, had done such a thing, even if you’re armed with the context that Jada Pinkett Smith has alopecia. But even stranger was that he was widely expected to take the spotlight again in about 15 minutes to receive a Best Actor trophy for his performance in King Richard, as the father of Serena and Venus Williams. And indeed he did, standing on stage in tears and delivering a speech that was emotional, uncomfortable, but undeniably riveting." The 94th Academy Awards will be remembered for what couldn't be planned, says Sims. "Though it might also be presented as a low point for the Academy Awards," he says, "it was also a completely compelling one, a particularly violent reminder of the strange possibilities of live television."

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• LAPD says Chris Rock declined to file a complaint against Will Smith: “If the party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.
• The Academy released a brief statement saying "The Academy does not condone violence of any form": The Academy's only comment following the ceremony also said: "Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world."
• Oscars producer Will Packer tweeted: "Welp…I said it wouldn’t be boring #Oscars"
• To audience members, Will Smith slapping Chris Rock felt like a skit "at first": "Many in the auditorium initially thought that Smith was pretending to be upset that Rock had made a joke at the expense of his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who was seated by his side," says Variety's Ramin Setoodeh and Matt Donnelly. "The presenter had improvised a joke on the spot, asking whether Pinkett Smith was going to be in G.I. Jane 2 because of her shaved head. 'Will Smith just smacked the sh*t out of me,'" Rock said, stunned at what had just happened. But then Smith kept going, and it became clear that this wasn’t a sketch. As the King Richard actor returned to his table, just a feet from the stage, he started yelling at Rock. 'Get my wife’s name out of your f*cking mouth,' Smith said....As the telecast — which had been drawing laughter from hosts Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall — continued on, the Oscars turned into two shows. Onstage, the in memoriam segment paid tribute to a list of Hollywood legends who’d died in the last year, including Sidney Poitier and Betty White. But all eyes inside the Dolby were on Smith."
• Denzel Washington, Bradley Cooper and Tyler Perry tried to mediate between Chris Rock and Will Smith
• Reporters backstage were given a warning before interviewing Oscar winners: "I caution you not to ask questions referring to anything else in the show other than the current winners on the stage"
• When Chris Rock hosted the Oscars in 2016, he mocked Jada Pinkett Smith, who boycotted that year's ceremony over a lack of diversity: "Jada said she's not coming," Rock said in his monologue, which prompted one Twitter user to tweet: "Will Smith has to punch Chris Rock in the face .... He has no choice." Rock added: "I was like, 'Isn't she on a TV show?' Jada's gonna boycott the Oscars? Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna's panties. I wasn't invited!" Rock also mocked Smith, saying "It's not fair that Will was this good and didn't get nominated (for Concussion). You're right. It's also not fair that Will was paid $20 million for Wild Wild West!" Days after the monologue, Pinkett Smith said in response: "Hey look, it comes with the territory, we gotta keep it moving. We got a lot of stuff we gotta handle, a lot of stuff going on in our world right now. We gotta keep it moving."
• Will Smith apologized to everyone but Chris Rock during his surreal Best Actor speech
• E!'s post-show team reportedly "fully rallied behind Will Smith" after the Oscar ceremony