“The View” co-hosts called out actor Will Smith’s “show of violence” after he slapped Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Academy Awards.
Co-host Sunny Hostin said she felt “embarrassed” for Smith and “horrified” for Rock. She complimented the comedian for taking the “high road” after millions of people witnessed him get slapped for making a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s, hair.
“I think that Will was immature, I think he was childish, and I think he was violent,” Hostin said. “I think that’s something that we tell our children not to do, right? Our children would be suspended from school for doing something like that. Use your words. And he’s a Grammy award-winning rapper. … Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have lived publicly their whole lives. And when you live publicly, you do open up yourself to jokes, you open up yourself to commentary.”
“That was a show of toxic masculinity. If he felt offended and emasculated by Regina Hall’s joke or by Chris Rock’s joke, you don’t act out in violence. That is not a show of love, that’s a show of violence,” she continued.
Co-host Joy Behar said the appropriate response would be to “walk off” rather than act violently. (RELATED: ‘Screwed Up Place’: Scarborough Defends Chris Rock After Being Slapped By Will Smith)
“To actually hit somebody was shocking,” she said.
Co-host Ana Navarro said she initially thought the slap was a joke and that it was “men behaving badly.” She also noted Rock’s joke was “lame” and in “poor taste” given that Jada Smith was diagnosed with alopecia.
“That being said, nothing, nothing, nada, cero condones violence in this form,” Navarro said. “Nada.”
Co-host Whoopi Goldberg said Smith “overreacted” to the joke, and that his emotions had likely built up over jokes being made about his marriage over the years, causing him to “behave badly.”
After winning his first Oscar for Best Actor, Smith tearfully apologized to the Academy and nominees for his behavior.
“I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment,” Smith tearfully said. “I’m not crying for winning an award, it’s not about winning for me. … It’s about being able to shine a light on all of the people. Art imitates life, I look like the crazy father just like they said about Mr. Williams. Love makes you do crazy things.”