Howard Stern blasted Hollywood’s hypocrisy for doing nothing when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock across the face at the Oscars in March. The radio personality used the recent Dave Chappelle incident as an example, saying that while Isaiah Lee, the 23-year-old who assaulted the legendary comedian, was left with a broken arm and large bruises, Will was not met with the same response.
“This guy jumped up on stage and attacked Dave Chappelle,” the 68-year-old said earlier this week on his Howard Stern Show. “As soon as that happened, did they let him go back to his seat and laugh and sit next to his wife and then give them an award? No. They took him backstage, they broke his arms and hands so bad…They f****** beat the s*** out of him.” Howard seemed adamant that Will should not have been treated differently just because of his celebrity status, adding that the Academy didn’t react properly to what consequences the Hancock star should have faced for the unexpected viral TV moment.
“Listen! You don’t treat Will Smith any different than they did the Chappelle attacker,” he added. “The audience at the Oscars gave Will Smith a standing ovation after the attack, that’s the truth. It’s on film, it’s not fake news. They didn’t break Will’s hands, they shook them and it’s wrong and they all should be ashamed of themselves… Unlike the Academy Awards, Jamie Foxx came running out on stage and helped Dave Chappelle.”
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Was Will Smith Banned From The Oscars?
Days after Will smacked Chris, it was announced that the father-of-two had been suspended from the Academy for a whopping 10 years. Will did apologize for his actions in a lengthy Instagram post that same week of the incident, admitting that his behavior was inappropriate and that he was sorry for what transpired during the show.
Chris had made a joke about Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and her buzzcut hairstyle, having compared it to the film GI Jane, where actress Demi Moore sports a bald head. It was later claimed that the Madagascar actor had no idea that Jada was battling alopecia, a health condition that contributes to rapid hair loss.
In his apology to his millions of Instagram fans, Will wrote, “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much to bear, and I reacted emotionally.
“I would like to publicly apologize 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. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”