A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department has officially stated that comedian Chris Rock has “declined to file a police report” in the wake of the altercation with actor Will Smith in the middle of the 94th Academy Awards.
In the middle of the ceremony, Smith walked on stage, striding with purpose, and reared back to slap Rock across the face in the wake of Rock making a joke in poor tast about smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
“LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program. The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report,” read a compelte statement from the Los Angeles Police Department, as reported by Variety.
The Full Uncensored video of Will Smith’s altercation with Chris Rock at the #Oscars pic.twitter.com/cGQ3plSEiz
— Movies (@moreoffilms) March 28, 2022
There is something odd, however, about the choice from the L.A. Police, and that is that millions of people saw the slap take place on live television. Police are sometimes forced to weigh different accounts, but in this case, however, it was extremely crystal clear as to what happened, and the whole thing is recorded.
Additionally, not one security team member from the event appeared on stage. Even odder still was that after the ordeal, Smith was not removed from the theater, he instead just returned to his seat, even heading back on stage at a later time to accept the award for winning best actor. The whole of Hollywood in attendance issued him a standing ovation.
Before the incident, Rock was on stage making a series of jokes about the celebrities attending the event. He then turned his sights on Pinkett Smith. “Jada, I love you, G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it. All right?” Rock stated. The joke was seemingly in reference to a movie that starred Demo Moore as a Lieutenant in the Nacy in which the actress has a shaved head. Jada Pinkett Smith, as well, must shave her head due to suffering from alopecia.
While she seems to just roll her eyes at the joke and does not laugh, Smith laughs all the while sporting a large smile on his face. “That was a nice one, OK?” claimed Rock.
“I’m out here –” stated Rock just before breaking off. “Uh oh. Richard?” he stated, seemingly in reference to Will Smith playing the part of the father of Serena and Venus Williams in “King Richard.”
Almost immediately, Smith strides across the stage and moves to strike Rock, not with a fist but an open hand.
“Oh wow,” exclaimed Rock. “Wow. Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me,” he stated with a smile.
“Wow, dude. It was a G.I. Jane joke,” he stated before moving on with the show.
The camera quickly snaps to Will Smith, who had already made it back to his seat. Various clips that were not censored show him shouting back at Rock: “Keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth!”