“An embarrassment”: Ben Fordham weighs in on Will Smith drama
Will Smith has publicly apologised to Chris Rock for slapping him on-stage at the Oscars over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behaviour at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” Smith wrote in a screenshot shared on Instagram on Tuesday.
“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.
“I would like to publicly apologise 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.”
The apology comes after the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences, the organisation that awards the Oscars, condemned Smith’s behaviour and said they would investigate the incident.
Others have also been quick to weigh in on the situation, with radio host Ben Fordham questioning how Smith was able to stay in the audience and go on to receive an award.
Speaking on 2GB, Fordham questioned why Smith hadn’t faced any repercussions after he “belted (Rock) in the face”.
“The best the Academy could do was send out a pathetic tweet … You absolutely condoned it. You let him return to his seat. You didn’t kick him out and you then handed him an award,” Fordham said.
“The double standards are extraordinary.
“They lecture everyone else about how to behave, but when the bad behaviour happened on their stage it was a case of see no evil, hear no evil.
“The Academy Awards are an embarrassment. They preach one thing and they do the opposite.”
The radio host and journalist acknowledged why Smith would have been upset, while also pointing out that Smith initially laughed at the joke until he saw his wife’s reaction.
“If that was said about my wife, I would have struggled to stay in my seat,” Fordham admitted.
“I wouldn’t have belted anyone, but I can understand how rage could build when you see something like this happen to someone you love.”
The slap has also prompted the resurfacing of footage showing Smith behaving similarly and slapping a ‘reporter’ in 2012.
The star reportedly slapped Ukrainian prankster Vitali Sediuk, who was posing as a reporter when he attempted to kiss Smith.
Luckily, the 2012 incident ended in apologies from the prankster - who went on to repeat the stunt with other celebrities - but the run-in between Rock and Smith hasn’t gone as smoothly.
Rock’s joke during the awards ceremony referred to Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head.
She was diagnosed with alopecia (the medical term for baldness) in 2018 and has since spoken out about her experience losing her hair.
Image: Getty Images