The Oscars has been rocked by an unbelievable exchange after Will Smith took offence to a joke made by Chris Rock about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.
After Rock joked to Smith that he was looking forward to a sequel in which Pinkett-Smith would play G.I. Jane, apparently mocking her bald head, Smith stood up from his seat near the stage. He strode up to Rock and slapped him. After sitting back down, Smith shouted at Rock to "keep my wife's name out of your (expletive) mouth".
Rock reacted with a "wow" before exclaiming "Will Smith just smacked the s--- outta me".
The moment shocked the Dolby Theatre audience and viewers at home.
At the commercial break, presenter Daniel Kaluuya came up to to hug Smith, and Denzel Washington escorted him to the side of the stage.
The two talked and hugged and Tyler Perry came over to talk as well.
Viewers around the globe rushed to social media to question whether the slap was real as the Oscars feed was cut to millions of viewers.
However, minutes later Smith won the Award for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard and teared up in his speech, describing Richard Williams, who he played, as a "fierce defender of his family". Smith said "love makes you do crazy things" and apologised to the Academy and his fellow nominees.
Smith's acceptance speech switched between defence and apology.
"Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family," Smith said in his first remarks. He continued: "I'm being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people."
Williams shared what Washington told him: "At your highest moment, be careful because that's when the devil comes for you."
Ultimately, Smith apologised to the academy and to his fellow nominees.
"Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father" said Smith. "But love will make you do crazy things."
Rock will not file charges against Smith, the LAPD later said in a statement.
"LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program," the statement said.
"The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report."
Earlier, Troy Kotsur and Ariana DeBose made history as the 94th Academy Awards got underway.
After record-low ratings during a pandemic-marred 2021 show producers this year turned to one of the biggest stars around — Beyoncé — to kick off an Oscars intended to revive the awards' place in pop culture.
Historic wins, musical joy and jaw-dropping confrontation at the Oscars
After an introduction from Venus and Serena Williams, Beyoncé performed her "King Richard" nominated song, "Be Alive," in an elaborately choreographed performance from a lime-colored, open-air stage in Compton, where the Williams sisters grew up.
Hosts Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall then began the telecast from the Dolby Theatre.
"All right, we are here at the Oscars," began Hall. Sykes finished: "Where movie lovers unite and watch TV."
Sykes, Schumer and Hall breezily joked through prominent Hollywood issues like pay equity — they said three female hosts were "cheaper than one man" — the Lady Gaga drama that Sykes called "House of Random Accents," the state of the Golden Globes (now relegated to the memoriam package, said Sykes) and Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriends.
Their most pointed political point came at the end of their routine, in which they promised a great night and then alluded to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill.
KEY AWARDS
Deaf family drama CODA, won best picture, handing Hollywood's top award to a streaming service for the first time.
Sian Heder's film, which first premiered at a virtual Sundance Film Festival in winter 2021, started out as an underdog but gradually emerged as the Oscars' feel-good favourite. It also had one very deep-pocketed backer in Apple TV+, which scored its first best picture Academy Award, less than three years after launching the service.
It also handed another near-miss defeat to Netflix, the veteran streamer that for years has tried vainly to score best picture. Its best chance, Jane Campion's "The Power of the Dog," came in with a leading 12 nominations.
However Jane Campion has won the best director Oscar for "The Power of the Dog."
The 67-year-old filmmaker won the Academy Award on Sunday night for the unconventional Western starring Benedict Cumberbatch that was shot in her native New Zealand.
It's her first best director Oscar. She won a best original screenplay Oscar in 1994 for her film "The Piano," which also earned her a directing nomination.
Australian Greig Fraser was an early winner at this year's Oscars, taking the statue for Best Cinematography for his work on sci-fi epic "Dune".
Jessica Chastain won the Academy Award for best actress for playing televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker in "The Eyes of Tammy Faye."
It's the first Oscar for Chastain in three nominations. She was previously nominated for "Zero Dark Thirty" in 2013 and "The Help" in 2012.
She beat out fellow nominees Olivia Colman, Penélope Cruz, Nicole Kidman and Kristen Stewart. Chastain thanked each of her nominees, her co-tsar Andrew Garfield and her makeup team.
Billie Eilish has an Oscar.
The 20-year-old pop star and her 24-year-old producer brother, Finneas O'Connell, won the Academy Award for best original song for writing "No Time to Die" from the James Bond film of the same name.
Troy Kotsur has won the best supporting actor Oscar for his role in "CODA."
Kotsur on Sunday night became the second actor who is deaf to win an Academy Award. His "CODA" co-star Marlee Matlin was the first when she won best actress for "Children of a Lesser God" in 1987.
He dedicated the film to the Deaf community.
"This is our moment."
Kotsur was barely known as an actor before "CODA," but was considered a heavy favorite for the Oscar after the acclaimed performance and wins earlier in awards season.
The Oscar for best supporting actress goes to Ariana DeBose for "West Side Story."
DeBose won the Academy Award on Sunday night for her acting, singing and dancing as Anita in her breakthrough role in the Steven Spielberg reimagining of the classic musical.
She becomes the first Afro-Latina and openly LGBTQ actor win in the category. "To anybody who has ever questioned your identity," she said, "I promise you there is a place for us."
"Encanto" has won the Oscar for best animated feature.
The film about a magical family in the mountains of Colombia won the Academy Award for Walt Disney Animation Studios on Sunday night.
Not counting films from its Pixar subsidiary, Disney has won the animation Oscar four times since it was first handed out in 2002.
"Summer of Soul" has won best documentary at the Oscars.
Director Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson's chronicle of the music of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival took the trophy as expected at Sunday's Academy Awards.
"I'm so happy right now, I could cry," he said.
Japan's "Drive My Car" has won the Oscar for best international feature.
Based on a short story by Haruki Murakami, "Drive My Car" was directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, who is also was nominated for co-writing the screenplay.
Kenneth Branagh has won the best original screenplay Oscar for writing "Belfast."
It's the first career Oscar for the 61-year-old, who is also nominated Sunday for best director and, as a producer, for best picture.
