Jim Carrey Slams ‘Spineless’ Oscars For Giving Will Smith A Standing Ovation After Chris Rock Slap
Jim Carrey spoke out against the viral Oscars slap and said that the incident ‘was such a selfish moment’ on Will Smith’s part.
Jim Carrey, 60, was “sickened” by the standing ovation that Will Smith, 53, got at the 2022 Academy Awards on March 27. The King Richard star received huge support in the room when he won the Oscar for Best Actor, after he slapped Chris Rock, 57, on the stage earlier that night. Jim appeared on CBS Mornings two days later and explained to Gayle King why he was so turned off by the viral altercation.
“Hollywood is just spineless en masse and it just really felt like this is a really clear indication that we’re not the cool club anymore,” the iconic actor and comedian said.
Jim Carrey calls #Oscar audience ‘spineless’ for Will Smith standing ovation:
“I was sickened by the standing ovation. Hollywood is just spineless en masse and it really felt like this is a really clear indication that we aren’t the cool club anymore.” pic.twitter.com/V2cYWKOgQ9
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) March 29, 2022
Jim noted that Will “should’ve” been taken out by security after the slap occurred on stage. When Gayle mentioned that Chris declined to press charges against Will, Jim explained that the fellow comedian probably “didn’t want the hassle.” I’d have announced this morning that I was suing Will for 200 million dollars because that video is going to be there forever, it’s going to be ubiquitous,” The Mask actor added. “That insult is gonna last a very long time. If you want to yell from the audience and show disapproval or say something on Twitter, you do not have the right to walk up on stage and smack somebody in the face ‘cuz they said words.”
Jim also pushed back against Gayle’s opinion that Chris’ comment about Jada Pinkett Smith‘s hair loss — which caused Will to get on stage and assault him — “escalated” the situation. “It didn’t escalate, it came out of nowhere because Will has something going on inside that’s frustrated,” Jim explained. “I wish him the best, I really do. I don’t have anything against Will Smith. He’s done great things. But that was not a good moment.”
He continued, “It cast a pall over everybody’s shining moment. A lot of people worked really hard to get to that place. And to have their moment in the sun, to get their award for the really hard work they did, it is no mean feat to go through all the stuff you have to go through when you are nominated for an Oscar. It’s a gauntlet of devotion you have to do. It was such a selfish moment that cast a pall over the whole thing.”
Will failed to apologize to Chris during his Best Actor acceptance speech. However, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star later addressed the incident in a lengthy apology posted to his Instagram on March 28. “My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” he said. “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.” Will also said, “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.”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are in the midst of a “formal review” of the situation. Fans suspect Will may have his Oscar stripped for slapping Chris.