Whoopi Goldbergis reacting toWill Smith’s much-talked-about moment from the 2022Academy Awards.
On Monday’s episode ofThe View, Goldberg, 66, expressed her thoughts on the incident, where Smith, 53, slapped presenterChris Rockafter he joked aboutJada Pinkett Smith’s hair. (Jada, 50, has been embracinga shaved head hairstyleas she lives with alopecia, which leads to bald spots and hair loss.)
Noting that she thought Will’s outburst was a result of “a lot of stuff built up,” including a joke that Rock, 57, made at Jada’s expense at the 2016 Oscars, Goldberg added, “I think he overreacted.”
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“I get it. Not everybody acts the way we like them to under pressure,” the star — who previously hostedthe Oscarsfour times, and won a Best Supporting Actress award in 1990 — continued. “Some people just snap. He snapped.”
“I think it’s remarkable and wonderful that Chris Rock did not take it to that other place it could have gone,” added Goldberg. “… All I know is sometimes you get to a point and you behave badly. I myself have acted badly on occasion.”
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Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
During the ABC daytime talk show series, fellow hostsJoy Behar,Ana NavarroandSonny Hostinalso shared their thoughts on the ordeal, all expressing impassioned sentiments about Will’s outburst. Goldberg previously starred with Will in 1993’sMade in America, and has appeared on Rock’s past eponymous talk show series,The Chris Rock Show.
At the 2022 Oscars, Rock joked to Jada in the audience, “Jada, I love ya.G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see ya,” as he was introducing the Oscar for Best Documentary.
TheRed Table Talkhost looked unimpressed and Will initially laughed from his seat, but later took to the stage to smack Rock across the face.
Will and Jada Pinkett Smith.Richard Harbaugh/A.M.P.A.S. / SplashNews.com
“Keep my wife’s name out your f—ing mouth!” Smith then yelled up to the stage at Rock after taking his seat again. “Wow, dude, it was aG.I. Janejoke,” said Rock — to which Will replied once again, “Keep my wife’s name out your f—ing mouth!”
“I’m going to, okay?” Rock responded, before going on to say, “That was the … greatest night in the history of television” and presenting the award.
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After the ordeal, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a statement on Twitter. “The Academy does not condone violence of any form,” the organizationtweeted. “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,” it continued, shifting the focus to the newly mintedOscar winners.
A source told PEOPLE that thetensionsbetween the Best Actor winner and Oscars presenter goes back several years, noting the same instance thatThe Viewhosts brought up when Rock took aim at Jada during his own hosting gig at the 2016 Academy Awards.
“When Chris hostedthe Oscarsin 2016, Jada was boycotting because of ‘Oscars So White.’ In his monologue, he made fun of her, saying she can’t boycott something she wasn’t invited to,” the insider explained. “Will was still mad about that.”
Will Smith (R) and Chris Rock.ABC
According toVariety, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement that Rock had not filed a police report against Will in wake of the altercation. The LAPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
“LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program,” authorities said Sunday, per the outlet. “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.”
RELATED VIDEO:Will SmithSmacks Chris Rock in the Face at 2022 Oscars After Rock Jokes About Jada Pinkett’s Hair
Will lateracknowledged the moment in his acceptance speechafter winning Best Actor for his performance asVenusandSerena Williams' father Richard Williams inKing Richard, although he omitted Rock from his apology.
“I know to do what we do you gotta be able to take abuse; you gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business you gotta be able to have people disrespecting you, and you gotta smile and pretend like that’s okay.”
Will also compared himself to hisKing Richardcharacter as a “fierce defender of his family.”
Will Smith.ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty
The actor then addressed the incident directly, offering an apology to the Academy and his fellow nominees for the incident — but failed to mention Rock.
“I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees,” he said.
Will, who was previously nominated forAliandThe Pursuit of Happyness, then said, “Art imitates life: I look like the crazy father. Just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things.”
He later added, “Being able to love and care for my mother and my family, my wife … Thank you for this honor. Thank you for this moment. … I hope the Academy invites me back.”
source: people.com
