Was Will Smith right or wrong?

Likely staged, so he was right in that he followed the script and delivered the performance expected of him.

i felt bad for chris, he acted more man than will did.

Where I live he committed a criminal act. A misdemeanor one called "battery". If the receiver of the slap told the cops "no harm no foul" then it could be dropped.

If he chose to and a cop witnessed it he could have been arrested on the spot, booked, and bailed out (I'm in FL so CA laws are different).

Given the circumstances, his notoriety, and his wealth (and the probablity that no attorney would want to prosecute him) there would probably be a plea deal including a fine, costs, and anger management classes.

If he had done it in a bar and not been famous he'd be waiting bail.

It's not that I don't understand the anger - but he escalated the (perceived) verbal attack with a physical one.

Let's take it a step further, had the "victim" perceived his safety in jeapordy he could have returned the slap or even pulled a firearm.

So the joke might have been in poor taste (all jokes are to somebody) but the response was over the top.

He's beloved and there have been no benadryl allegations (Bill Cosby) or humping charges (Kevin Spacey) so he'll probably walk away.

Except for the possible lawsuit for the slap on national TV.

He was wrong for the slap i understand defending your wife but he couldve handled it differently as far as being staged i dont think it was sure he was laughing at first until he turned around and saw his wife not laughing being upset

Yes..he looks like a dick now.. he should have kept that girlie slap for the after party 🙄

Staged and poorly so at that.

Will Smith was completely in the wrong.

If it wasn’t staged, I’d say Will Smith is losing his mind. He should get a divorce. I’m actually kind of surprised he keeps his chin up after his wife’s alleged affair.

It was fake.

No reaction from security at all?

‘Oh it was Will Smith…We would let him smack his momma if she hurt his feelings’

He should have been tackled, cuffed and escorted out at the least. Weird security didn’t act on the safe side…’No…It’s cool…It’s just Will Smith. He gonna chill then accept his Oscar’

There was a crowd of the most famous people in the world there. And security did nothing?

Very obviously immoral, and if it had been a woman there'd be virtually no debate on this. If Will had just stood up and yelled at Chris, it would've been 100x as rhetorically effective and -- quite notably -- it would've been a proportionate response to an off-color joke. Will Smith acted like a petulant child.

Definitely wrong. When you go to the Academy Awards and you know Chris Rock is going to host, people expect him to make a target out of everyone, because they know that's what he does and it's all in fun. There was no real intention to harm on Chris Rock's part there, and the joke was not that bad considering he didn't know about her alopecia. Even Will Smith laughed at first until he saw the look on his wife's face that she was upset and then he took action. This is not acceptable to just go up and beat somebody up because of a joke. He could have handled that outside the academy afterwards or simply said something from the audience but he lost his cool and that was the result. The black community is embarrassed and he marred the academy awards ceremony. This could also set a trend for other people to act like they just lost their temper momentarily so they could beat somebody up and it's a terrible example to our children. The man needs help. He has psychological problems from his childhood.

Needs a handbag..

bet he got laid last night

Will Smith was laughing heartily at Chris Rock's joke, until he glanced over at his wife and received a death glare. I can't imagine a man being so afraid of his wife that he would actually endanger his career...but there it is.

He was wrong. And he knew it, he owned it, and he apologized for it. That shows integrity.

Cheap theatre, and it's own little outtake that deserves an award correct? Having worked a wee bit in film and watching them in real time between takes, I believe to this day that they all deserve each other, there in Gomorrah.
Their collective....their covey of Hollyweirds, have intentionally blurred any line, anything good, anything normal or coherent, all in the name of fame and fortune. With that said, as an entity they deserve each other quite frankly.

What I came away with from my theatre seat as a background artist? They're insecure people who have become drunk with the idea of being immortalized in film so they won't be "forgotten." For me, that has always spoken of low esteem.
So, in my book, how can there possibly be any sense of right or wrong here?

My .02

If anyone has evidence it was staged, please provide it. I swear, these conspiracy theories are out of control. Next people will say Biden ordered him to do it to distract from high gas prices.

Probably should have gone up and said something along the lines that he’s not very classy or funny if he has to take a sensitive health issue and use it to get a laugh.

Of course he is wrong what would make that ok?? 😒

anyone who thinks using violence as a reaction to humor is a piece of shit that needs to get their moral compass adjusted.

this is absolutely unacceptable

It’s rarely the best idea to strike someone. But as I said on another post, to paraphrase Chris Rock himself speaking about O.J.:
"I wouldn’t have done it—but I understand.”

He was dead wrong, and he just lost what little respect anyone still had for him.

Wrong. It dosen't appear to have been staged as some suggest since he apologized to the awards show.

Will has some kind of inner turmoil and it is tied to his marriage and the way that they live their life. I feel like he's going off the rails lately or at least exposing his dirty laundry publicly on a weekly basis.

Security should have grabbed him immediately. It is not the picture of maturity. I bet if some white man got up and slapped him that hard, it would have been OVER. He's a terrible example for his children and this generation. I look for him to get a simple slap on the hand and suspension from the Academy Awards for a while or maybe forever I don't know, but he'll just laugh at that. What kind of disciplinary action is that? To Will Smith, nothing. I feel he should go to counseling and only when he is healthy minded again, be able to make movies again. Now that sounds more reasonable to me than anything and especially when it comes to the welfare of his family. Who wants to see a trend set where every time we get mad at somebody we just walk up and pop them in the mouth? It is unacceptable and despicable behavior. It could have been handled in a completely different way.

I'm not going to weigh in on the merits of the debate. However, Byron York has a piece in the Washington Examiner today (it should be available online) about a poll done by a well-known Democratic pollster (so used to do tihis in a fairly rigorous way). A slight majority of respondents thought Smith was justified. The pollster also broke down the demographics of respondents by sex and race, among other factors. While i don't remember the exact results , there were divergences there.
This in a situation where a literal crime was committed for all to see.
See my reply to @PatKirby below for the link.

violence isn't good. he shouldnt have hit him

One point to consider, if either Smith or Rock had been white this would have been a career-ending scandal.

It's not anyones business really. I imagine he has experience and memories of how upset she's been about her alapecia and how difficult it's been for her. Then to have someone make fun of her in front of the world must be very triggering.

Funny how all the usual conservative conspiracy theorist types think it was staged.

You guys realize that stuff actually happens sometimes, right? Like not everything is part of a scripted conspiracy. I thought you hated Hollywood douchebags. This is totally something an egomaniac actor like Will Smith would do.

Chris Rock went where he shouldn’t have. Can’t blame Will Smith.

Legally right? No. Morally right? Yes.

They were both wrong. 2 wrongs don't make it right.

This is an example of Toxic Masculinity. "Protecting HIS Woman" Anyone can fuck her but God Forbid they laugh at her. The same women whining about Men being Toxic are the ones saying Will stood up for Jayda. Bullshit Will has had an grudge against Chris for years and he took advantage of this situation. He used Jayda.

🤔.....Can't we all, just get along.....

He went too far

I don’t know the full inside story, so I’m not going to say. But it’s over, he’s apologized, Chris isn’t pressing charges, and I’m done caring about it.

My opinion, Will Smith was right. There is a time and a place and I feel Chris Rock picked the wrong time and place.

There could have been tension between them. I don't know why everyone is worried about it. I think it would have been juvenile for Rock to fight back. He just got slapped. Who cares. They can take care of themselves and Rock could have pressed charges but didn't.

Wouldn't be surprised if both are spending today basking in the aftermath of what they created, similar to the fat kid admiring the barf storm he created at the pie-eating contest in "Stand By Me."

He is wrong and he looks like a time bomb. This type of behaviour is symptomatic of bigger problems.

Will smith is a snowflake and a simp.. Pathetic..

I think it was all just a planned publicity stunt

It was either punch Chris Rock or face the wrath of Jada. LOL

Gotta do something to get people talking.

A man hitting another man. It wasn't self defense. Common sense. Of course he was wrong.

Where would the world be if we're allowed to slap people for words? Pathetic of his side. Just pathetic.

🤷‍♂️ a five year old in a temper tantrum could throw a harder slap...

staged

Neither either something else is going on , he just lost it or he’s acting