‘Listen, it was a slap. It wasn’t a punch’
Director Michael Bay has said he doesn’t “really care” about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock as he’s more focused on the “babies getting blown up in the Ukraine.”
Over a week after Chris Rock joked about Jada Pinkett Smith looking like “G.I Jane”, the world is still obsessing over the moment Will Smith took matters into his own hands and slapped Rock.
Pinkett-Smith, 50, has been very open about her battle with alopecia, but Rock claims he knew nothing about her hair-loss condition.
Bay, who directed 1995’s Bad Boys and the sequel Bad Boys II in 2003, told Yahoo, “I don’t really care.”
Promoting his latest movie, Ambulance, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Bay told the outlet that “Hollywood gets very self-absorbed” despite not watching the 2022 Oscars himself.
Bay added “There are babies getting blown up in the Ukraine right now. We should be talking about that.”
He insisted that Smith, 53, is “not that guy”, and he has “never seen him lose his cool like that.”
“I thought it was set up because I saw the smirk,” the Transformers actor added. “I’ve been on set when Will screws with people, joking with people. Listen, it was a slap. It wasn’t a punch. He’s very good at fighting, all right? He’s trained at that. He was mad.”
Smith has since apologised for his actions and has consequently resigned from the Academy. Dubbing the slap “shocking, painful, and inexcusable”, Smith added: “I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken.”
A plethora of celebrities have weighed in on the situation, with Oscars host Amy Schumer claiming she was “triggered and traumatised” by the slap. Comedian Katherine Ryan did not mince her words, telling her Instagram followers if Smith “Can’t take a joke, stay home.”
Even Chancellor Rishi Sunak weighed in, suggesting that both he and Smith shared similarities because their wives were both “attacked.” Sunak’s wife has been accused of benefitting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Related links:
- Unseen Oscars clip shows exactly how Jada reacted to Will slapping Chris Rock
- Chris Rock fans point out missing detail as he breaks silence on Will Smith’s Oscars slap
- Bad Boys 4 reportedly on pause after Will Smith Oscar smack
