When it comes to the Oscars, drama isn’t just a movie genre.
After all, the Academy Awards has seen its fair share of controversies, and pearl-clutching moments, since its inception almost a century ago—including in recent years.
Take 2022 ceremony, when Will Smith left the entire audience inside Dolby Theatre—not to mention the millions of viewers at home—stunned by storming the stage and slapping Chris Rock over a dig at Jada Pinkett Smith‘s shaved head during the presentation for Best Documentary Feature.
“Keep my wife’s name out of your f–king mouth,” Smith told the comedian, who retorted, “Dude. It was a G.I. Jane joke.”
Though the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum eventually apologized for his violent outburst, he was slapped (this time metaphorically) with a 10-year ban by the Academy that barred him from attending any of their events until 2032.
“That was a horrific night as you can imagine,” Smith—who ended up winning Best Actor for his performance in King Richard shortly after the slap—recalled during a December 2022 appearance on The Daily Show. “There’s many nuances and complexities to it. But at the end of the day, I lost it.”
