Oscars 2022 as it happened: Will Smith hits Chris Rock — then wins

Best Actor Oscar

Will Smith hit Chris Rock in the face on stage and then swore at him repeatedly  moments after when setting down then  Minutes later, Smith won the Oscar for best actor and broke down crying as he apologised to the Academy for his violent behaviour.

This mayhem in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood started when Rock, the comedian, arrived on stage to do the  introducing of an award, and made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who suffers from alopecia.

Rock said: “Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it.” That was a reference to the 1997 film G.I. Jane in which actress Demi Moore shaved her head. Will Smith then strode on to the stage and delivered a powerful open-handed slap to Rock’s face. “Oh, wow! Wow! Will Smith just smacked the s— out of me,” Rock exclaimed.

Initially the audience assumed it was part of the script, but Rock appeared genuinely stunned.