It is a miracle in itself that Will Smith managed to avoid a lawsuit on Oscar night. It was a moment that should have celebrated the actor's career, instead was completely tainted due to his actions with Chris Rock. Some celebs decided to give Smith the benefit of the doubt, while others weren't so kind as we'll reveal in the following.
We're going to take a closer look at what went down, and why Smith reacted the way he did. In addition, we'll take a look at the A-list couple that decided to remain in their seats, and what they thought about everyone else standing up. In truth, they weren't the only ones to feel shock for the reception Smith still received despite the terrible moment.
Will Smith Revealed His Incident With Chris Rock Took Place Because Of 'Bottled Rage'
Will Smith appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and gave a little more detail into what had taken place on Oscar night. According to the actor, he was going through something at the time, which would lead to the forgettable moment.
"I was going through something that night, you know? Not that that justifies my behavior at all. I just - I lost it."
Will would go on to reveal that it was pure rage at that point when he got up to slap Chris Rock, "I understand how shocking that was for people," he told Noah. "I was gone. That was a rage that had been bottled for a really long time."
Smith fully understood the mess that had taken place when he was confronted by his nine-year-old nephew out of all people. "He's the sweetest little boy," Smith said. "We came home and he had stayed up late to see his Uncle Will, and we're sitting in my kitchen, and he's on my lap and he's holding the Oscar, and he's just like, 'Why did you hit that man, Uncle Will?'
It was a mess."
Making things that much more awkward, Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor that night. It was a moment that should have finally celebrated his career, however, it was clearly tainted, and some celebs couldn't believe the actor still received a standing ovation.
Mila Kunis Could Not Believe Will Smith Got A Standing Ovation For His Oscar Win
Mila Kunis was among the few celebs that did not stand up when Will Smith took home his Oscar, and the reasoning makes lots of sense. According to Kunis, the actress was horrified by how many people did decide to give Smith an ovation, despite what had taken place. According to Kunis, those in attendance chose to do what looks good, instead of what was right.
"Not standing up, to me, was a no-brainer, but what was shocking to me was how many people did stand up," said Kunis. "I thought, 'Wow, what a time we're living in that rather than do what's right, people focus on doing what looks good.' It's insane to me."
Kunis would also make mention that she wanted to lead by example during the moment, especially as a mom. "The idea of leading by example only makes sense when you actually have someone to lead. We have our tiny little tribe here at home, and never once do I want to tell them to do something if I'm not willing to do it myself," said the mom of two.
Credit to Mila for taking a bold stance but in truth, there were lots of other celebs that weren't impressed with Smith's actions either.
Mila Kunis Wasn't The Only Celeb To Take A Shot At Will Smith And His Actions On Oscar Night
Will Smith receive some serious heat from other celebs. Among them was Steve Harvey. According to Harvey, he would've fought back had the same thing happened to him.
“I’m a Christian, but I’m really undeveloped. I don’t have high-level Christianity. On a scale of one to 10, I’m like a two. That’s the level of Christianity I can work on. You slap [Bishop] T.D. Jakes, he’ll turn the other cheek. You slap me? If you sit back in your seat, Jada would have to move out of the way. That’s the type of Christian I am.”
Harvey would go on to reveal that he lost a lot of respect for Smith on the night.
Sharon Osbourne completely agreed with Mila Kunis, in disbelief that the actor was still able to get an ovation.
"When he wins [the Best Actor award], everybody stands up. It’s, like, you’re such hypocrites," she said. "You’re going to go home and say how disgraceful his behavior was, but you stand up and give him a standing ovation. You know, it’s like I’ve always said, in this industry, if people could make a buck off you … if Hitler were alive today, they would give him a TV show.”
Clearly, the moment drew quite the reactions.