Why Rita Moreno Brought Up The Will Smith Oscars Slap On The Red Carpet

Two years after the infamous Will Smith Oscars slap, the shocking event is still being discussed at the movies’ biggest night.

“West Side Story” actress Rita Moreno appeared on the red carpet ahead of the 2024 Academy Awards, bringing up the infamous incident between the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” actor and comedian Chris Rock.

Rita Moreno Recalls Will Smith 2022 Oscars Slap

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Will Smith has been banned from the Oscars after he stormed the stage and slapped Chris Rock across the face after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

It all went down the same year Will Smith had been nominated in the Best Actor category, which he won for his role as King Richard. Jada and Will were seated in the front row when host Chris Rock made a joke about Jada’s shaven head, which is a result of a medical condition called alopecia.

While Will seemed to laugh it off at first, once he looked over at his wife and saw her roll her eyes at the joke, he then seemingly got protective over his wife as he stormed the stage and slapped Chris Rock across the face while screaming, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—ing mouth!”

Despite the slap occurring two years ago, people cannot seem to forget about it, including “80 For Brady” actress Rita Moreno.

What Did Rita Moreno Say About Will Smith’s Oscar Slap?

Rita Moreno brings up Will Smith’s #Oscars slap with THR on the red carpet pic.twitter.com/FSMsJd1iH1

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 10, 2024

When asked how it feels to return to the Oscars, Rita Moreno said, “Fabulous! It’s always great. You never know what’s going to happen. I mean a couple of years ago we were here and somebody slapped somebody so it was fascinating.”

While she didn’t name names, we all knew exactly who she was referring to. “You never know what’s going to happen,” she added, laughing.

Will Smith Addresses Oscars Slap

In the weeks following the infamous slap, Will Smith took to social media to address the incident.

“I was fogged out by that point,” Smith said of why it took him so long to apologize to Chris Rock. “It’s all fuzzy. I’ve reached out to Chris, and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk. And when he is, he will reach out.”

“That was one of the things about that moment I just didn’t realize,” Smith recalled. “I wasn’t thinking about how many people got hurt in that moment. So, I want to apologize to Chris’ mother. I want to apologize to Chris’ family — specifically, Tony Rock. We had a great relationship. You know, Tony Rock was my man, and this is probably irreparable.”

Smith went on to address the questionable eye roll from his wife and explained how this entire incident has affected his family and kids.

“So it hurts. It hurts me psychologically and emotionally to know I didn’t live up to people’s image and impression of me,” he said, adding that he’s “deeply remorseful” but trying not to be ashamed of himself. “I’m a human and I made a mistake, and I’m trying not to think of myself as a piece of s–t,” he added.

Will Smith Apologizes To Chris Rock Following Oscars Slap

“I would say to those people: I know it was confusing. I know it was shocking. But I promise you, I am deeply devoted and committed to putting light and love and joy into the world,” Smith concluded. “And if you hang on, I promise we’ll be able to be friends again.”

Smith offered a separate apology to Chris Rock, stating “Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.”

Adding, “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.”