Here’s a play-by-play of everything that happened from our reporters on the ground.
Here’s everything else that went down, according toEntertainment WeeklyandPEOPLEreporters in the room when it happened.
The joke
Everything started off fine enough.
Chris Rock.Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
“If she loses, he can’t win!”
Then he moved to the Smiths: “Jada, I love you.G.I.
Jane 2, can’t wait to see it.”
Jada Pinkett Smith rolls her eyes at joke from Chris Rock during the Oscars.ABC
“This is going to be a little bit more difficult for me to hide.
She added, “Now at this point, I can only laugh.”
The actress and her husband, however, were not laughing Oscars night.
Will Smith hits Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022.Myung Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
While the broadcast itself went silent, Rock responded in the room by saying, “Oh wow!
Will Smith just smacked the s— out of me.”
People initially laughed and clapped, seemingly thinking it was part of the joke.
Denzel Washington comes to speak with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith after the slap at the Oscars.Rob Latour/Shutterstock
“Wow, dude.
Janejoke,” Rock replied, to which Smith repeated his previous remark.
“You could hear a pin drop.
ABC
Everyone was looking bug-eyed at each other like, ‘OMG is this really happening?’
Chris Rock looked stunned.”
Smith would later mention Washington in hisBest Actor acceptance speech.
Will Smith wins Best Actor at the 2022 Oscars.ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images
“I want to be a vessel for love.”
The scramble
“It’s all anyone is talking about downstairs.
And nobody thinks it was staged,” remarked one EW and PEOPLE staffer.
Will Smith dances at the Vanity Fair Oscars party after winning Best Actor earlier in the evening.Stefanie Keenan/VF22/WireImage for Vanity Fair
“Not talking about that.
We’re very happy to accept this award,” he said.
Nicole Kidmanand husbandKeith Urbanwere among the celebrities who approached Smith in the aftermath.
The pair were seen giving the actor a prolonged hug before Smith went back to speaking with his publicist.
Will Smith wins Best Actor
Questlove heard mumbling during his interview in the press room that night.
“I hear mumbling.
I was like, another situation just happened.
Running for cover,” he remarked.
West Philly in the house!”
The after-aftermath
All that occurred during the Oscars ceremony seemed to stay at the Oscars ceremony.
Someone amongst the media asked an Academy representative, “What about Chris Rock?”
Smith himself was seen dancing to his 1997 song “Gettin' Jiggy Wit It.”
Other celebrities at the after party understandably declined to comment on the situation.
“I don’t have a comment on that.
“Queen Latifahremarked when asked about the slap.
“But that’s all I will say about that,” she added.
That meant so much to me.”
According to the Los Angeles Police Department,Rock decided not to press chargesagainst Smith for the slap.
“That’s over.
I can confirm that,” he said, adding, “It’s all love.
They’re brothers.”
