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Tag: Will Smith

  • Jada Pinkett Smith says revealing separation from Will Smith is a ‘weight off my shoulders’

    By Associated Press

    NEW YORK: Jada Pinkett Smith is feeling free these days. She’s no longer hiding that she’s been separated from megastar husband Will Smith for seven years.

    “It’s a weight off my shoulders, honestly,” said Pinkett Smith whose new memoir, “Worthy,” is out now. “Ever since the Oscars, it’s so interesting how such an intense event can bring you closer together, and I would say that after that, we really dove in and dug in and got to this beautiful place we are now.”

    The actor, who first revealed the bombshell news to NBC’s Hoda Kotb last week, details her much-gossiped about marriage throughout the biography. Through the years, the couple has faced rumours — of having an open marriage, a swinging lifestyle and questions about their sexual orientations — all while wearing smiles, seemingly portraying a picture-perfect life.

    The daytime Emmy award winner briefly thought about scrapping the project; she started writing the 400-plus page book, co-written with Mim Eichler Rivas, at the top of 2022. But after Will infamously slapped Chris Rock in real time during the Oscars over a joke about her shaved head, Pinkett Smith wondered if writing a book was the right choice.

    “The only time I reconsidered possibly was after the Oscars…because I was like I can’t write a book and not talk about this piece,” she told The Associated Press, admitting that she felt like the scapegoat for Will’s actions. “It took me a while to figure that out.”

    While the Smiths’ marriage dynamic may still be confusing to some — they’re technically still married but have lived separate lives for years with divorce not an option — the “Collateral” actress says they’re working toward resolution.

    “We love each other…we are figuring out right now as we speak, what that looks like for us. But there’s no being separated. There’s no, ‘we’re going to get divorced,’” she said. “I’m not giving up on that dude. And he’s not giving up on me… So, let’s just stop and let’s get to this deep healing and figure this out.”

    With talent and serendipitous timing, the Baltimore native headed to Hollywood in the early ’90s during a peak period where the industry was welcoming in young, Black actors and creatives. She eventually landed a role on “A Different World,” the “The Cosby Show”-spinoff which inspired a generation of young African Americans to pursue college educations, particularly at historically Black colleges and universities. She went on to star in films like “Menace II Society,” “Jason’s Lyric,” “Set It Off,” “The Nutty Professor” and in “The Matrix” franchise.

    Pinkett Smith says while her husband had aspirations to become a global, superstar actor, she didn’t share those same dreams which caused friction. While she considered how revealing intimate details to the world would further affect their family, it’s her story to tell — “before Jada Pinkett Smith, there was Jada Pinkett,” she notes.

    “Will completely understood that this was my point of view and that I had a right to talk about my point of view,” Pinkett Smith said of her husband, who posted an Instagram video with the cheeky caption “notifications off” on Sunday in reaction to the media frenzy the book has stirred. “We’re even talking about writing a book called ‘Don’t Try This at Home”… just talking step-by-step of where were our pitfalls and how we got through everything we’ve gotten through.”

    In the Dey Street-HarperCollins book, Pinkett Smith intimately chronicles everything from childhood lessons learned while in her grandmother’s garden, navigating being the child of drug addicts, along with tales of dealing drugs as a teen and the consequences that followed. In another revelation, she describes contemplating taking her own life while crushed by depression during a midlife crisis after turning 40.

    But the book also sheds light on her path to Hollywood, creative endeavors and her journey through motherhood with her two children with Will, Jaden and Willow, and her “bonus” child Trey from Will’s first marriage. She details the unconventional freedoms she’s allowed the children to have that have drawn criticism at times. There are writing prompts in the memoir, encouraging readers to reflect on their own lives.

    “It’s a bit of a ‘Red Table Talk’ guidance page,” she said with a huge laugh. “I just wanted to give little breadcrumbs along the way, a bit of oxygen along the way, of like, I’m not just going to tell you that I got from point A to point B. But I just want to give you just a little bit of the method in which what got me there.”

    “Red Table Talk” was the popular talk show broadcast on Facebook Live co-hosted by her, her mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris and Willow. On the show, they discussed intimate topics with guests and among themselves. In one of the most noted episodes, Jada and Will discussed what she called an “entanglement” after R&B singer August Alsina revealed the relationship, causing the public to believe she had had an affair. Pictures of Will’s tired eyes and scruffy beard from that episode are frequently memed.

    In the autobiography, Pinkett Smith also discusses her friendship with rap icon, actor and activist Tupac Shakur. She says there was a deep love between the two but maintain they never had a romantic feelings toward each other. They met in high school at Baltimore School for the Arts, and they both would grow up to navigate Hollywood and the trappings of fame. Shakur was killed in 1996.

    Last month, Las Vegas authorities arrested Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the last living suspect in the drive-by shooting. Davis has been charged with murder.

    “I’m glad that the arrest was made (of) this person we always knew was in the car with the person who shot ‘Pac. And I’m hoping we get more information,” said Pinkett Smith. “I want to know who called the hit.”

    The 52-year-old says she doesn’t suffer from depression or suicidal thoughts anymore, and she credits the controversial, plant-based psychedelic ayahuasca for her healing. Pinkett Smith says she’s learned to keep a positive mindset, supported by a daily routine that includes mediation, prayer, scripture readings from various religions and yoga.

    Pinkett Smith has launched a 13-city “Our Worthy Journey” book tour with stops that include London, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. While not everything in her life is perfect, she feels worthy these days.

    “I’m feeling so comfortable in my skin. I know who I am. And I know who I am in regards to my relationship to Divine Source,” she said, pointing to the sky before holding her heart. “I know that I have everything that I need right here and that anything else that anybody else wants to offer me is a gift — is a gift! And I’m deeply grateful.” Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

    NEW YORK: Jada Pinkett Smith is feeling free these days. She’s no longer hiding that she’s been separated from megastar husband Will Smith for seven years.

    “It’s a weight off my shoulders, honestly,” said Pinkett Smith whose new memoir, “Worthy,” is out now. “Ever since the Oscars, it’s so interesting how such an intense event can bring you closer together, and I would say that after that, we really dove in and dug in and got to this beautiful place we are now.”

    The actor, who first revealed the bombshell news to NBC’s Hoda Kotb last week, details her much-gossiped about marriage throughout the biography. Through the years, the couple has faced rumours — of having an open marriage, a swinging lifestyle and questions about their sexual orientations — all while wearing smiles, seemingly portraying a picture-perfect life.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    The daytime Emmy award winner briefly thought about scrapping the project; she started writing the 400-plus page book, co-written with Mim Eichler Rivas, at the top of 2022. But after Will infamously slapped Chris Rock in real time during the Oscars over a joke about her shaved head, Pinkett Smith wondered if writing a book was the right choice.

    “The only time I reconsidered possibly was after the Oscars…because I was like I can’t write a book and not talk about this piece,” she told The Associated Press, admitting that she felt like the scapegoat for Will’s actions. “It took me a while to figure that out.”

    While the Smiths’ marriage dynamic may still be confusing to some — they’re technically still married but have lived separate lives for years with divorce not an option — the “Collateral” actress says they’re working toward resolution.

    “We love each other…we are figuring out right now as we speak, what that looks like for us. But there’s no being separated. There’s no, ‘we’re going to get divorced,’” she said. “I’m not giving up on that dude. And he’s not giving up on me… So, let’s just stop and let’s get to this deep healing and figure this out.”

    With talent and serendipitous timing, the Baltimore native headed to Hollywood in the early ’90s during a peak period where the industry was welcoming in young, Black actors and creatives. She eventually landed a role on “A Different World,” the “The Cosby Show”-spinoff which inspired a generation of young African Americans to pursue college educations, particularly at historically Black colleges and universities. She went on to star in films like “Menace II Society,” “Jason’s Lyric,” “Set It Off,” “The Nutty Professor” and in “The Matrix” franchise.

    Pinkett Smith says while her husband had aspirations to become a global, superstar actor, she didn’t share those same dreams which caused friction. While she considered how revealing intimate details to the world would further affect their family, it’s her story to tell — “before Jada Pinkett Smith, there was Jada Pinkett,” she notes.

    “Will completely understood that this was my point of view and that I had a right to talk about my point of view,” Pinkett Smith said of her husband, who posted an Instagram video with the cheeky caption “notifications off” on Sunday in reaction to the media frenzy the book has stirred. “We’re even talking about writing a book called ‘Don’t Try This at Home”… just talking step-by-step of where were our pitfalls and how we got through everything we’ve gotten through.”

    In the Dey Street-HarperCollins book, Pinkett Smith intimately chronicles everything from childhood lessons learned while in her grandmother’s garden, navigating being the child of drug addicts, along with tales of dealing drugs as a teen and the consequences that followed. In another revelation, she describes contemplating taking her own life while crushed by depression during a midlife crisis after turning 40.

    But the book also sheds light on her path to Hollywood, creative endeavors and her journey through motherhood with her two children with Will, Jaden and Willow, and her “bonus” child Trey from Will’s first marriage. She details the unconventional freedoms she’s allowed the children to have that have drawn criticism at times. There are writing prompts in the memoir, encouraging readers to reflect on their own lives.

    “It’s a bit of a ‘Red Table Talk’ guidance page,” she said with a huge laugh. “I just wanted to give little breadcrumbs along the way, a bit of oxygen along the way, of like, I’m not just going to tell you that I got from point A to point B. But I just want to give you just a little bit of the method in which what got me there.”

    “Red Table Talk” was the popular talk show broadcast on Facebook Live co-hosted by her, her mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris and Willow. On the show, they discussed intimate topics with guests and among themselves. In one of the most noted episodes, Jada and Will discussed what she called an “entanglement” after R&B singer August Alsina revealed the relationship, causing the public to believe she had had an affair. Pictures of Will’s tired eyes and scruffy beard from that episode are frequently memed.

    In the autobiography, Pinkett Smith also discusses her friendship with rap icon, actor and activist Tupac Shakur. She says there was a deep love between the two but maintain they never had a romantic feelings toward each other. They met in high school at Baltimore School for the Arts, and they both would grow up to navigate Hollywood and the trappings of fame. Shakur was killed in 1996.

    Last month, Las Vegas authorities arrested Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the last living suspect in the drive-by shooting. Davis has been charged with murder.

    “I’m glad that the arrest was made (of) this person we always knew was in the car with the person who shot ‘Pac. And I’m hoping we get more information,” said Pinkett Smith. “I want to know who called the hit.”

    The 52-year-old says she doesn’t suffer from depression or suicidal thoughts anymore, and she credits the controversial, plant-based psychedelic ayahuasca for her healing. Pinkett Smith says she’s learned to keep a positive mindset, supported by a daily routine that includes mediation, prayer, scripture readings from various religions and yoga.

    Pinkett Smith has launched a 13-city “Our Worthy Journey” book tour with stops that include London, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. While not everything in her life is perfect, she feels worthy these days.

    “I’m feeling so comfortable in my skin. I know who I am. And I know who I am in regards to my relationship to Divine Source,” she said, pointing to the sky before holding her heart. “I know that I have everything that I need right here and that anything else that anybody else wants to offer me is a gift — is a gift! And I’m deeply grateful.” Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

  • Will Smith on SAG-AFTRA strike: It’s a pivotal moment for our profession

    By Express News Service

    Hollywood actor Will Smith recently took to his social media handle to extend support to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

    A member of SAG-AFTRA, Smith, wrote about the importance of this moment for both guilds. In an Instagram post, he wrote, “I wanna talk for a second about ACTING. As some of y’all mighta heard, my guild, @SAGAFTRA are on strike along with our writer colleagues in the WGA. It’s a pivotal moment for our profession. 33 years into my career as an actor and there are still some days when I feel like I’m that kid from Philly who’s on borrowed time, even though I know I’ve been extraordinarily blessed and lucky to have worked as an actor all this time. It’s thanks to my friend, my teacher and my mentor @aaronspeiser whom I fondly refer to as ‘coach’ that those days when I feel like I don’t belong are fewer and further between. Coach invited me to an acting class the other day and I met a group of our talented next generation of actors and they amazed and inspired me! I’m grateful to coach for continuing to support these talented hopefuls in this art-form that I love and have been lucky enough to work in for three decades of my life! Thanks COACH!

    Hollywood actor Will Smith recently took to his social media handle to extend support to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

    A member of SAG-AFTRA, Smith, wrote about the importance of this moment for both guilds. In an Instagram post, he wrote, “I wanna talk for a second about ACTING. As some of y’all mighta heard, my guild, @SAGAFTRA are on strike along with our writer colleagues in the WGA. It’s a pivotal moment for our profession. 33 years into my career as an actor and there are still some days when I feel like I’m that kid from Philly who’s on borrowed time, even though I know I’ve been extraordinarily blessed and lucky to have worked as an actor all this time. It’s thanks to my friend, my teacher and my mentor @aaronspeiser whom I fondly refer to as ‘coach’ that those days when I feel like I don’t belong are fewer and further between. Coach invited me to an acting class the other day and I met a group of our talented next generation of actors and they amazed and inspired me! I’m grateful to coach for continuing to support these talented hopefuls in this art-form that I love and have been lucky enough to work in for three decades of my life! Thanks COACH!

  • Year after the slap, Chris Rock punches back in new special

    By Associated Press

    A year after Will Smith smacked him on the Academy Awards stage, Chris Rock finally gave his rebuttal in a forceful stand-up special, streamed live on Netflix, in which the comedian bragged that he “took that hit like Pacquiao.”

    The 58-year-old comedian on Saturday night performed his first stand-up special since last year’s Oscars in a much-awaited sequel that had all the hype — and more — of a Manny Pacquaio prizefight. “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” streamed live from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, marked Netflix’s first foray into live streaming. But it was also a long-awaited comedy counterpunch to Academy Awards infamy.

    Rock, performing in all white and with a Prince medallion around his neck, immediately touched on last year’s Oscars while riffing on “wokeness,” hypersensitivity and what he called “selective outrage.”

    “You never know who might get triggered,” said Rock. “Anybody who says words hurt hasn’t been punched in the face.”

    But Rock then launched into a series of wide-ranging topics examining contemporary issues, including virtue signaling, high-priced yoga pants, the Duchess of Sussex, the Kardashians, abortion rights, the Capitol riot and what he called America’s biggest addition: Attention.

    “We used to want love, now we just want likes,” said Rock.

    Rock, who also riffed on how he’d respond if his father transitioned to a woman (he would support him, Rock said), made clear “Selective Outrage” was not going to be just a Will Smith show. Only occasionally did Rock’s material dovetail with the 2022 Oscars, like it did when Rock joked about the oddity of Snoop Dogg becoming such a venerated pitch man for advertisers.

    “I’m not dissing Snoop,” said Rock. “The last thing I need is another mad rapper.”

    But an hour into his set, Rock closed the special with a torrent of material about the notorious Academy Awards moment.

    ALSO READ | Academy sets up ‘crisis team’ following Will Smith-Chris Rock slap row

    “You all know what happened to me, getting smacked by Suge Smith. Everybody knows,” Rock said. “It still hurts. I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”

    While Smith has apologized and repeatedly spoken about the incident since last March, Rock has avoided all the usual platforms where celebrities often go to air their feelings. He never sat down with Oprah Winfrey, and turned away the many media outlets that would have loved to land an exclusive in-depth interview.

    “I’m a not a victim, baby,” said Rock. “You will never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying. You will never see it. Never going to happen.”

    But Rock did use his encounter with Smith to shape and enliven his second stand-up special for Netflix. Some of his best material was on their physical differences.

    “We are not the same size. This guy does movies with his shirt off,” said Rock. “You will never see me do a movie with my shirt off. If I’m in a movie getting open-heart surgery, I got on a sweater.”

    “He played Muhammed Ali,” added Rock. “I played Pookie in ‘New Jack City.’”

    Ultimately, Rock suggested he was just caught in the crossfire in Smith’s relationship with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. It was a joke that Rock told about Pinkett Smith that prompted Smith to stride on stage and strike Rock. The comedian on Saturday referenced Pinkett Smith’s earlier confessions of having an “entanglement” with another man while married.

    “I did not have any entanglements,” said Rock. “She hurt him way more than he hurt me.”

    “I love Will Smith,” added Rock. “Now I watch ‘Emancipation’ just to see him get whooped.”

    Before dropping his microphone and holding his arms up triumphantly, Rock left the crowd with one last zinger. Rock said the reason why he didn’t physically retaliate at the Oscars was because “I got parents.”

    “And you know what my parents taught me?” he said. “Don’t fight in front of white people.”

    Netflix added pre- and post-show bookends of star-studded live programming with, as host comedian Ronny Chieng said, “every comedy legend who owes Netflix a favor.” Bono lent a opening introduction. Dana Carvey and David Spade hosted the after-show. Paul McCartney, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld and one of last year’s Oscar hosts, Wanda Sykes, all added pre-taped messages. Arsenio Hall guaranteed Rock’s set would cause Smith to smack his television set.

    For much of the past year, Rock has been touring new material in a long string of performances as part of his Ego Death tour. The shows, which had been announced before the 2022 Oscars, have featured performances with Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart.

    On the road, Rock has often worked in jokes and reflections on the slap. Rock first broke his public silence about the slap three nights after the Oscar ceremony, last year in Boston. “How was your weekend?” he asked the crowd. He added that he was “still kind of processing what happened.”

    After plenty of processing, Rock retook the cultural spotlight just a week before the March 12 Oscars, where the slap is sure to revisited by this year’s host, Jimmy Kimmel. In the aftermath of last year’s events, Smith resigned his membership to the film academy. The academy board of governors banned Smith from the Oscars and all other academy events for a decade.

    At the annual luncheon for nominees held last month, motion picture academy president Janet Yang voiced regret about how the incident was handled, calling the academy’s response “inadequate.” Bill Kramer, the academy’s chief executive, has said the academy has since instituted a crisis communications team to prepare for and more rapidly respond to the unexpected.

    “Selective Outrage” is Rock’s second special for Netflix, following 2018’s “Tamborine.” They’re part of a two-special $40 million deal Rock signed with the streamer in 2016.

    As new as the live “Selective Outrage” was for Netflix, it was hard not to notice a few familiar things about it.

    “You’ve got to give it to the tech companies for inventing something that existed for decades,” said Chieng. “We’re doing a comedy show on Saturday night … live. Genius.”

    A year after Will Smith smacked him on the Academy Awards stage, Chris Rock finally gave his rebuttal in a forceful stand-up special, streamed live on Netflix, in which the comedian bragged that he “took that hit like Pacquiao.”

    The 58-year-old comedian on Saturday night performed his first stand-up special since last year’s Oscars in a much-awaited sequel that had all the hype — and more — of a Manny Pacquaio prizefight. “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” streamed live from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, marked Netflix’s first foray into live streaming. But it was also a long-awaited comedy counterpunch to Academy Awards infamy.

    Rock, performing in all white and with a Prince medallion around his neck, immediately touched on last year’s Oscars while riffing on “wokeness,” hypersensitivity and what he called “selective outrage.”googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “You never know who might get triggered,” said Rock. “Anybody who says words hurt hasn’t been punched in the face.”

    But Rock then launched into a series of wide-ranging topics examining contemporary issues, including virtue signaling, high-priced yoga pants, the Duchess of Sussex, the Kardashians, abortion rights, the Capitol riot and what he called America’s biggest addition: Attention.

    “We used to want love, now we just want likes,” said Rock.

    Rock, who also riffed on how he’d respond if his father transitioned to a woman (he would support him, Rock said), made clear “Selective Outrage” was not going to be just a Will Smith show. Only occasionally did Rock’s material dovetail with the 2022 Oscars, like it did when Rock joked about the oddity of Snoop Dogg becoming such a venerated pitch man for advertisers.

    “I’m not dissing Snoop,” said Rock. “The last thing I need is another mad rapper.”

    But an hour into his set, Rock closed the special with a torrent of material about the notorious Academy Awards moment.

    ALSO READ | Academy sets up ‘crisis team’ following Will Smith-Chris Rock slap row

    “You all know what happened to me, getting smacked by Suge Smith. Everybody knows,” Rock said. “It still hurts. I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”

    While Smith has apologized and repeatedly spoken about the incident since last March, Rock has avoided all the usual platforms where celebrities often go to air their feelings. He never sat down with Oprah Winfrey, and turned away the many media outlets that would have loved to land an exclusive in-depth interview.

    “I’m a not a victim, baby,” said Rock. “You will never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying. You will never see it. Never going to happen.”

    But Rock did use his encounter with Smith to shape and enliven his second stand-up special for Netflix. Some of his best material was on their physical differences.

    “We are not the same size. This guy does movies with his shirt off,” said Rock. “You will never see me do a movie with my shirt off. If I’m in a movie getting open-heart surgery, I got on a sweater.”

    “He played Muhammed Ali,” added Rock. “I played Pookie in ‘New Jack City.’”

    Ultimately, Rock suggested he was just caught in the crossfire in Smith’s relationship with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. It was a joke that Rock told about Pinkett Smith that prompted Smith to stride on stage and strike Rock. The comedian on Saturday referenced Pinkett Smith’s earlier confessions of having an “entanglement” with another man while married.

    “I did not have any entanglements,” said Rock. “She hurt him way more than he hurt me.”

    “I love Will Smith,” added Rock. “Now I watch ‘Emancipation’ just to see him get whooped.”

    Before dropping his microphone and holding his arms up triumphantly, Rock left the crowd with one last zinger. Rock said the reason why he didn’t physically retaliate at the Oscars was because “I got parents.”

    “And you know what my parents taught me?” he said. “Don’t fight in front of white people.”

    Netflix added pre- and post-show bookends of star-studded live programming with, as host comedian Ronny Chieng said, “every comedy legend who owes Netflix a favor.” Bono lent a opening introduction. Dana Carvey and David Spade hosted the after-show. Paul McCartney, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld and one of last year’s Oscar hosts, Wanda Sykes, all added pre-taped messages. Arsenio Hall guaranteed Rock’s set would cause Smith to smack his television set.

    For much of the past year, Rock has been touring new material in a long string of performances as part of his Ego Death tour. The shows, which had been announced before the 2022 Oscars, have featured performances with Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart.

    On the road, Rock has often worked in jokes and reflections on the slap. Rock first broke his public silence about the slap three nights after the Oscar ceremony, last year in Boston. “How was your weekend?” he asked the crowd. He added that he was “still kind of processing what happened.”

    After plenty of processing, Rock retook the cultural spotlight just a week before the March 12 Oscars, where the slap is sure to revisited by this year’s host, Jimmy Kimmel. In the aftermath of last year’s events, Smith resigned his membership to the film academy. The academy board of governors banned Smith from the Oscars and all other academy events for a decade.

    At the annual luncheon for nominees held last month, motion picture academy president Janet Yang voiced regret about how the incident was handled, calling the academy’s response “inadequate.” Bill Kramer, the academy’s chief executive, has said the academy has since instituted a crisis communications team to prepare for and more rapidly respond to the unexpected.

    “Selective Outrage” is Rock’s second special for Netflix, following 2018’s “Tamborine.” They’re part of a two-special $40 million deal Rock signed with the streamer in 2016.

    As new as the live “Selective Outrage” was for Netflix, it was hard not to notice a few familiar things about it.

    “You’ve got to give it to the tech companies for inventing something that existed for decades,” said Chieng. “We’re doing a comedy show on Saturday night … live. Genius.”

  • ‘It still hurts’: Chris Rock addresses Will Smith’s Oscar slap for first time in Netflix special

    By Associated Press

    A year after Will Smith smacked him on the Academy Awards stage, Chris Rock finally gave his rebuttal in a forceful stand-up special, streamed live on Netflix, in which the comedian bragged that he “took that hit like Pacquiao.”

    The 58-year-old comedian on Saturday night performed his first stand-up special since last year’s Oscars in a much-awaited sequel that had all the hype — and more — of a Manny Pacquaio prizefight. “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” streamed live from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, marked Netflix’s first foray into live streaming. But it was also a long-awaited comedy counterpunch to Academy Awards infamy.

    Rock, performing in all white and with a Prince medallion around his neck, immediately touched on last year’s Oscars while riffing on “wokeness,” hypersensitivity and what he called “selective outrage.”

    “You never know who might get triggered,” said Rock. “Anybody who says words hurt hasn’t been punched in the face.”

    But Rock then launched into a series of wide-ranging topics examining contemporary issues, including virtue signaling, high-priced yoga pants, the Duchess of Sussex, the Kardashians, abortion rights, the Capitol riot and what he called America’s biggest addition: Attention.

    “We used to want love, now we just want likes,” said Rock.

    Rock, who also riffed on how he’d respond if his father transitioned to a woman (he would support him, Rock said), made clear “Selective Outrage” was not going to be just a Will Smith show. Only occasionally did Rock’s material dovetail with the 2022 Oscars, like it did when Rock joked about the oddity of Snoop Dogg becoming such a venerated pitch man for advertisers.

    “I’m not dissing Snoop,” said Rock. “The last thing I need is another mad rapper.”

    But an hour into his set, Rock closed the special with a torrent of material about the notorious Academy Awards moment.

    ALSO READ | Academy sets up ‘crisis team’ following Will Smith-Chris Rock slap row

    “You all know what happened to me, getting smacked by Suge Smith. Everybody knows,” Rock said. “It still hurts. I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”

    While Smith has apologized and repeatedly spoken about the incident since last March, Rock has avoided all the usual platforms where celebrities often go to air their feelings. He never sat down with Oprah Winfrey, and turned away the many media outlets that would have loved to land an exclusive in-depth interview.

    “I’m a not a victim, baby,” said Rock. “You will never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying. You will never see it. Never going to happen.”

    But Rock did use his encounter with Smith to shape and enliven his second stand-up special for Netflix. Some of his best material was on their physical differences.

    “We are not the same size. This guy does movies with his shirt off,” said Rock. “You will never see me do a movie with my shirt off. If I’m in a movie getting open-heart surgery, I got on a sweater.”

    “He played Muhammed Ali,” added Rock. “I played Pookie in ‘New Jack City.’”

    Ultimately, Rock suggested he was just caught in the crossfire in Smith’s relationship with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. It was a joke that Rock told about Pinkett Smith that prompted Smith to stride on stage and strike Rock. The comedian on Saturday referenced Pinkett Smith’s earlier confessions of having an “entanglement” with another man while married.

    “I did not have any entanglements,” said Rock. “She hurt him way more than he hurt me.”

    “I love Will Smith,” added Rock. “Now I watch ‘Emancipation’ just to see him get whooped.”

    Before dropping his microphone and holding his arms up triumphantly, Rock left the crowd with one last zinger. Rock said the reason why he didn’t physically retaliate at the Oscars was because “I got parents.”

    “And you know what my parents taught me?” he said. “Don’t fight in front of white people.”

    Netflix added pre- and post-show bookends of star-studded live programming with, as host comedian Ronny Chieng said, “every comedy legend who owes Netflix a favor.” Bono lent a opening introduction. Dana Carvey and David Spade hosted the after-show. Paul McCartney, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld and one of last year’s Oscar hosts, Wanda Sykes, all added pre-taped messages. Arsenio Hall guaranteed Rock’s set would cause Smith to smack his television set.

    For much of the past year, Rock has been touring new material in a long string of performances as part of his Ego Death tour. The shows, which had been announced before the 2022 Oscars, have featured performances with Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart.

    On the road, Rock has often worked in jokes and reflections on the slap. Rock first broke his public silence about the slap three nights after the Oscar ceremony, last year in Boston. “How was your weekend?” he asked the crowd. He added that he was “still kind of processing what happened.”

    After plenty of processing, Rock retook the cultural spotlight just a week before the March 12 Oscars, where the slap is sure to revisited by this year’s host, Jimmy Kimmel. In the aftermath of last year’s events, Smith resigned his membership to the film academy. The academy board of governors banned Smith from the Oscars and all other academy events for a decade.

    At the annual luncheon for nominees held last month, motion picture academy president Janet Yang voiced regret about how the incident was handled, calling the academy’s response “inadequate.” Bill Kramer, the academy’s chief executive, has said the academy has since instituted a crisis communications team to prepare for and more rapidly respond to the unexpected.

    “Selective Outrage” is Rock’s second special for Netflix, following 2018’s “Tamborine.” They’re part of a two-special $40 million deal Rock signed with the streamer in 2016.

    As new as the live “Selective Outrage” was for Netflix, it was hard not to notice a few familiar things about it.

    “You’ve got to give it to the tech companies for inventing something that existed for decades,” said Chieng. “We’re doing a comedy show on Saturday night … live. Genius.”

    A year after Will Smith smacked him on the Academy Awards stage, Chris Rock finally gave his rebuttal in a forceful stand-up special, streamed live on Netflix, in which the comedian bragged that he “took that hit like Pacquiao.”

    The 58-year-old comedian on Saturday night performed his first stand-up special since last year’s Oscars in a much-awaited sequel that had all the hype — and more — of a Manny Pacquaio prizefight. “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” streamed live from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, marked Netflix’s first foray into live streaming. But it was also a long-awaited comedy counterpunch to Academy Awards infamy.

    Rock, performing in all white and with a Prince medallion around his neck, immediately touched on last year’s Oscars while riffing on “wokeness,” hypersensitivity and what he called “selective outrage.”googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “You never know who might get triggered,” said Rock. “Anybody who says words hurt hasn’t been punched in the face.”

    But Rock then launched into a series of wide-ranging topics examining contemporary issues, including virtue signaling, high-priced yoga pants, the Duchess of Sussex, the Kardashians, abortion rights, the Capitol riot and what he called America’s biggest addition: Attention.

    “We used to want love, now we just want likes,” said Rock.

    Rock, who also riffed on how he’d respond if his father transitioned to a woman (he would support him, Rock said), made clear “Selective Outrage” was not going to be just a Will Smith show. Only occasionally did Rock’s material dovetail with the 2022 Oscars, like it did when Rock joked about the oddity of Snoop Dogg becoming such a venerated pitch man for advertisers.

    “I’m not dissing Snoop,” said Rock. “The last thing I need is another mad rapper.”

    But an hour into his set, Rock closed the special with a torrent of material about the notorious Academy Awards moment.

    ALSO READ | Academy sets up ‘crisis team’ following Will Smith-Chris Rock slap row

    “You all know what happened to me, getting smacked by Suge Smith. Everybody knows,” Rock said. “It still hurts. I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”

    While Smith has apologized and repeatedly spoken about the incident since last March, Rock has avoided all the usual platforms where celebrities often go to air their feelings. He never sat down with Oprah Winfrey, and turned away the many media outlets that would have loved to land an exclusive in-depth interview.

    “I’m a not a victim, baby,” said Rock. “You will never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying. You will never see it. Never going to happen.”

    But Rock did use his encounter with Smith to shape and enliven his second stand-up special for Netflix. Some of his best material was on their physical differences.

    “We are not the same size. This guy does movies with his shirt off,” said Rock. “You will never see me do a movie with my shirt off. If I’m in a movie getting open-heart surgery, I got on a sweater.”

    “He played Muhammed Ali,” added Rock. “I played Pookie in ‘New Jack City.’”

    Ultimately, Rock suggested he was just caught in the crossfire in Smith’s relationship with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. It was a joke that Rock told about Pinkett Smith that prompted Smith to stride on stage and strike Rock. The comedian on Saturday referenced Pinkett Smith’s earlier confessions of having an “entanglement” with another man while married.

    “I did not have any entanglements,” said Rock. “She hurt him way more than he hurt me.”

    “I love Will Smith,” added Rock. “Now I watch ‘Emancipation’ just to see him get whooped.”

    Before dropping his microphone and holding his arms up triumphantly, Rock left the crowd with one last zinger. Rock said the reason why he didn’t physically retaliate at the Oscars was because “I got parents.”

    “And you know what my parents taught me?” he said. “Don’t fight in front of white people.”

    Netflix added pre- and post-show bookends of star-studded live programming with, as host comedian Ronny Chieng said, “every comedy legend who owes Netflix a favor.” Bono lent a opening introduction. Dana Carvey and David Spade hosted the after-show. Paul McCartney, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld and one of last year’s Oscar hosts, Wanda Sykes, all added pre-taped messages. Arsenio Hall guaranteed Rock’s set would cause Smith to smack his television set.

    For much of the past year, Rock has been touring new material in a long string of performances as part of his Ego Death tour. The shows, which had been announced before the 2022 Oscars, have featured performances with Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart.

    On the road, Rock has often worked in jokes and reflections on the slap. Rock first broke his public silence about the slap three nights after the Oscar ceremony, last year in Boston. “How was your weekend?” he asked the crowd. He added that he was “still kind of processing what happened.”

    After plenty of processing, Rock retook the cultural spotlight just a week before the March 12 Oscars, where the slap is sure to revisited by this year’s host, Jimmy Kimmel. In the aftermath of last year’s events, Smith resigned his membership to the film academy. The academy board of governors banned Smith from the Oscars and all other academy events for a decade.

    At the annual luncheon for nominees held last month, motion picture academy president Janet Yang voiced regret about how the incident was handled, calling the academy’s response “inadequate.” Bill Kramer, the academy’s chief executive, has said the academy has since instituted a crisis communications team to prepare for and more rapidly respond to the unexpected.

    “Selective Outrage” is Rock’s second special for Netflix, following 2018’s “Tamborine.” They’re part of a two-special $40 million deal Rock signed with the streamer in 2016.

    As new as the live “Selective Outrage” was for Netflix, it was hard not to notice a few familiar things about it.

    “You’ve got to give it to the tech companies for inventing something that existed for decades,” said Chieng. “We’re doing a comedy show on Saturday night … live. Genius.”

  • ‘It still hurts’: Chris Rock addresses Will Smith’s Oscar slap for first time in Netflix special

    By Associated Press

    A year after Will Smith smacked him on the Academy Awards stage, Chris Rock finally gave his rebuttal in a forceful stand-up special, streamed live on Netflix, in which the comedian bragged that he “took that hit like Pacquiao.”

    The 58-year-old comedian on Saturday night performed his first stand-up special since last year’s Oscars in a much-awaited sequel that had all the hype — and more — of a Manny Pacquaio prizefight. “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” streamed live from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, marked Netflix’s first foray into live streaming. But it was also a long-awaited comedy counterpunch to Academy Awards infamy.

    Rock, performing in all white and with a Prince medallion around his neck, immediately touched on last year’s Oscars while riffing on “wokeness,” hypersensitivity and what he called “selective outrage.”

    “You never know who might get triggered,” said Rock. “Anybody who says words hurt hasn’t been punched in the face.”

    But Rock then launched into a series of wide-ranging topics examining contemporary issues, including virtue signaling, high-priced yoga pants, the Duchess of Sussex, the Kardashians, abortion rights, the Capitol riot and what he called America’s biggest addition: Attention.

    “We used to want love, now we just want likes,” said Rock.

    Rock, who also riffed on how he’d respond if his father transitioned to a woman (he would support him, Rock said), made clear “Selective Outrage” was not going to be just a Will Smith show. Only occasionally did Rock’s material dovetail with the 2022 Oscars, like it did when Rock joked about the oddity of Snoop Dogg becoming such a venerated pitch man for advertisers.

    “I’m not dissing Snoop,” said Rock. “The last thing I need is another mad rapper.”

    But an hour into his set, Rock closed the special with a torrent of material about the notorious Academy Awards moment.

    ALSO READ | Academy sets up ‘crisis team’ following Will Smith-Chris Rock slap row

    “You all know what happened to me, getting smacked by Suge Smith. Everybody knows,” Rock said. “It still hurts. I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”

    While Smith has apologized and repeatedly spoken about the incident since last March, Rock has avoided all the usual platforms where celebrities often go to air their feelings. He never sat down with Oprah Winfrey, and turned away the many media outlets that would have loved to land an exclusive in-depth interview.

    “I’m a not a victim, baby,” said Rock. “You will never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying. You will never see it. Never going to happen.”

    But Rock did use his encounter with Smith to shape and enliven his second stand-up special for Netflix. Some of his best material was on their physical differences.

    “We are not the same size. This guy does movies with his shirt off,” said Rock. “You will never see me do a movie with my shirt off. If I’m in a movie getting open-heart surgery, I got on a sweater.”

    “He played Muhammed Ali,” added Rock. “I played Pookie in ‘New Jack City.’”

    Ultimately, Rock suggested he was just caught in the crossfire in Smith’s relationship with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. It was a joke that Rock told about Pinkett Smith that prompted Smith to stride on stage and strike Rock. The comedian on Saturday referenced Pinkett Smith’s earlier confessions of having an “entanglement” with another man while married.

    “I did not have any entanglements,” said Rock. “She hurt him way more than he hurt me.”

    “I love Will Smith,” added Rock. “Now I watch ‘Emancipation’ just to see him get whooped.”

    Before dropping his microphone and holding his arms up triumphantly, Rock left the crowd with one last zinger. Rock said the reason why he didn’t physically retaliate at the Oscars was because “I got parents.”

    “And you know what my parents taught me?” he said. “Don’t fight in front of white people.”

    Netflix added pre- and post-show bookends of star-studded live programming with, as host comedian Ronny Chieng said, “every comedy legend who owes Netflix a favor.” Bono lent a opening introduction. Dana Carvey and David Spade hosted the after-show. Paul McCartney, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld and one of last year’s Oscar hosts, Wanda Sykes, all added pre-taped messages. Arsenio Hall guaranteed Rock’s set would cause Smith to smack his television set.

    For much of the past year, Rock has been touring new material in a long string of performances as part of his Ego Death tour. The shows, which had been announced before the 2022 Oscars, have featured performances with Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart.

    On the road, Rock has often worked in jokes and reflections on the slap. Rock first broke his public silence about the slap three nights after the Oscar ceremony, last year in Boston. “How was your weekend?” he asked the crowd. He added that he was “still kind of processing what happened.”

    After plenty of processing, Rock retook the cultural spotlight just a week before the March 12 Oscars, where the slap is sure to revisited by this year’s host, Jimmy Kimmel. In the aftermath of last year’s events, Smith resigned his membership to the film academy. The academy board of governors banned Smith from the Oscars and all other academy events for a decade.

    At the annual luncheon for nominees held last month, motion picture academy president Janet Yang voiced regret about how the incident was handled, calling the academy’s response “inadequate.” Bill Kramer, the academy’s chief executive, has said the academy has since instituted a crisis communications team to prepare for and more rapidly respond to the unexpected.

    “Selective Outrage” is Rock’s second special for Netflix, following 2018’s “Tamborine.” They’re part of a two-special $40 million deal Rock signed with the streamer in 2016.

    As new as the live “Selective Outrage” was for Netflix, it was hard not to notice a few familiar things about it.

    “You’ve got to give it to the tech companies for inventing something that existed for decades,” said Chieng. “We’re doing a comedy show on Saturday night … live. Genius.”

    A year after Will Smith smacked him on the Academy Awards stage, Chris Rock finally gave his rebuttal in a forceful stand-up special, streamed live on Netflix, in which the comedian bragged that he “took that hit like Pacquiao.”

    The 58-year-old comedian on Saturday night performed his first stand-up special since last year’s Oscars in a much-awaited sequel that had all the hype — and more — of a Manny Pacquaio prizefight. “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” streamed live from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, marked Netflix’s first foray into live streaming. But it was also a long-awaited comedy counterpunch to Academy Awards infamy.

    Rock, performing in all white and with a Prince medallion around his neck, immediately touched on last year’s Oscars while riffing on “wokeness,” hypersensitivity and what he called “selective outrage.”googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “You never know who might get triggered,” said Rock. “Anybody who says words hurt hasn’t been punched in the face.”

    But Rock then launched into a series of wide-ranging topics examining contemporary issues, including virtue signaling, high-priced yoga pants, the Duchess of Sussex, the Kardashians, abortion rights, the Capitol riot and what he called America’s biggest addition: Attention.

    “We used to want love, now we just want likes,” said Rock.

    Rock, who also riffed on how he’d respond if his father transitioned to a woman (he would support him, Rock said), made clear “Selective Outrage” was not going to be just a Will Smith show. Only occasionally did Rock’s material dovetail with the 2022 Oscars, like it did when Rock joked about the oddity of Snoop Dogg becoming such a venerated pitch man for advertisers.

    “I’m not dissing Snoop,” said Rock. “The last thing I need is another mad rapper.”

    But an hour into his set, Rock closed the special with a torrent of material about the notorious Academy Awards moment.

    ALSO READ | Academy sets up ‘crisis team’ following Will Smith-Chris Rock slap row

    “You all know what happened to me, getting smacked by Suge Smith. Everybody knows,” Rock said. “It still hurts. I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”

    While Smith has apologized and repeatedly spoken about the incident since last March, Rock has avoided all the usual platforms where celebrities often go to air their feelings. He never sat down with Oprah Winfrey, and turned away the many media outlets that would have loved to land an exclusive in-depth interview.

    “I’m a not a victim, baby,” said Rock. “You will never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying. You will never see it. Never going to happen.”

    But Rock did use his encounter with Smith to shape and enliven his second stand-up special for Netflix. Some of his best material was on their physical differences.

    “We are not the same size. This guy does movies with his shirt off,” said Rock. “You will never see me do a movie with my shirt off. If I’m in a movie getting open-heart surgery, I got on a sweater.”

    “He played Muhammed Ali,” added Rock. “I played Pookie in ‘New Jack City.’”

    Ultimately, Rock suggested he was just caught in the crossfire in Smith’s relationship with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. It was a joke that Rock told about Pinkett Smith that prompted Smith to stride on stage and strike Rock. The comedian on Saturday referenced Pinkett Smith’s earlier confessions of having an “entanglement” with another man while married.

    “I did not have any entanglements,” said Rock. “She hurt him way more than he hurt me.”

    “I love Will Smith,” added Rock. “Now I watch ‘Emancipation’ just to see him get whooped.”

    Before dropping his microphone and holding his arms up triumphantly, Rock left the crowd with one last zinger. Rock said the reason why he didn’t physically retaliate at the Oscars was because “I got parents.”

    “And you know what my parents taught me?” he said. “Don’t fight in front of white people.”

    Netflix added pre- and post-show bookends of star-studded live programming with, as host comedian Ronny Chieng said, “every comedy legend who owes Netflix a favor.” Bono lent a opening introduction. Dana Carvey and David Spade hosted the after-show. Paul McCartney, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld and one of last year’s Oscar hosts, Wanda Sykes, all added pre-taped messages. Arsenio Hall guaranteed Rock’s set would cause Smith to smack his television set.

    For much of the past year, Rock has been touring new material in a long string of performances as part of his Ego Death tour. The shows, which had been announced before the 2022 Oscars, have featured performances with Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart.

    On the road, Rock has often worked in jokes and reflections on the slap. Rock first broke his public silence about the slap three nights after the Oscar ceremony, last year in Boston. “How was your weekend?” he asked the crowd. He added that he was “still kind of processing what happened.”

    After plenty of processing, Rock retook the cultural spotlight just a week before the March 12 Oscars, where the slap is sure to revisited by this year’s host, Jimmy Kimmel. In the aftermath of last year’s events, Smith resigned his membership to the film academy. The academy board of governors banned Smith from the Oscars and all other academy events for a decade.

    At the annual luncheon for nominees held last month, motion picture academy president Janet Yang voiced regret about how the incident was handled, calling the academy’s response “inadequate.” Bill Kramer, the academy’s chief executive, has said the academy has since instituted a crisis communications team to prepare for and more rapidly respond to the unexpected.

    “Selective Outrage” is Rock’s second special for Netflix, following 2018’s “Tamborine.” They’re part of a two-special $40 million deal Rock signed with the streamer in 2016.

    As new as the live “Selective Outrage” was for Netflix, it was hard not to notice a few familiar things about it.

    “You’ve got to give it to the tech companies for inventing something that existed for decades,” said Chieng. “We’re doing a comedy show on Saturday night … live. Genius.”

  • Academy sets up ‘crisis team’ following Will Smith-Chris Rock slap row

    Express News Service

    After Will Smith slapped stand-up comedian Chris Rock for his joke attempt on the former’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, last year, the Academy has now established a crisis team for the 2023 Oscars. 

    According to reports, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer, in an Interview with Time magazine, confirmed that the crisis team will swiftly navigate any potential emergency.

    It is said that this formation of the crisis team is in response to the 2022 Oscars, where Will Smith infamously walked on stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock. 

    About the newly formed team, Kramer said, “We have a whole crisis team, something we’ve never had before, and many plans in place. We’ve run many scenarios. So it is our hope that we will be prepared for anything that we may not anticipate right now but that we’re planning for just in case it does happen.”

    He further added that depending upon the crisis, the frameworks in place can be modified. Meanwhile, the 2023 Oscars are set to take place on March 12.

    (This story originally appeared in Cinema Express)

    After Will Smith slapped stand-up comedian Chris Rock for his joke attempt on the former’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, last year, the Academy has now established a crisis team for the 2023 Oscars. 

    According to reports, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer, in an Interview with Time magazine, confirmed that the crisis team will swiftly navigate any potential emergency.

    It is said that this formation of the crisis team is in response to the 2022 Oscars, where Will Smith infamously walked on stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock. 

    About the newly formed team, Kramer said, “We have a whole crisis team, something we’ve never had before, and many plans in place. We’ve run many scenarios. So it is our hope that we will be prepared for anything that we may not anticipate right now but that we’re planning for just in case it does happen.”

    He further added that depending upon the crisis, the frameworks in place can be modified. Meanwhile, the 2023 Oscars are set to take place on March 12.

    (This story originally appeared in Cinema Express)

  • Oscars response to Smith slap inadequate, academy head says

    By Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES: The slap sat front and center at Monday’s Oscar nominees luncheon.

    So much so that motion picture academy president Janet Yang neither had to describe it nor say the names Will Smith or Chris Rock for the ballroom full of award hopefuls to know what she was talking about when she aired her regrets.

    “I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars,” Yang told a crowd that included Tom Cruise, Angela Bassett, Cate Blanchett and Steven Spielberg during her opening remarks. “What happened onstage was wholly unacceptable and the response from our organization was inadequate.”

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did little in response to Smith storming the stage and slapping Rock during last year’s Oscars telecast or in the immediate aftermath. It was nearly two weeks before its board of governors voted to ban Smith from the Oscars and all other academy events for 10 years. Smith had already preemptively resigned as an academy member.

    “We learned from this that the academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions,” Yang said, “and particularly in times of crisis you must act swiftly, compassionately and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less form us going forward.”

    Yang, who was not president at the time, was interrupted by a mild round of applause, and did not elaborate further, moving on to happier topics.

    Oscar nominees pose for their 2023 class photo at the annual #Oscars luncheon. pic.twitter.com/yYwFiGqdsW
    — AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) February 14, 2023
    She was met with whooping applause when told the nominees that all categories will be shown live on the March 12 ABC telecast. Last year, in a controversy largely eclipsed by the slap, several Oscars were handed out in a pre-telecast ceremony and edited versions of winners’ speeches were squeezed into the main show.

    The luncheon is a warm, feel-good affair where nominees are in general treated with equality, and a relative unknown up for best animated short might be seated next to an A-lister up for best actor.

    Some, of course, attract more attention than others, and don’t need to wear the nametags handed out to all.

    Tom Cruise, nominated as a producer for best picture candidate “Top Gun: Maverick,” managed briefly to mix in with the crowd in a ballroom at the Beverly Hilton before he attracted a crowd of gawkers.

    He and Jamie Lee Curtis, up for best supporting actress for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” pressed their foreheads together and giggled when they bumped into each other.

    He smiled widely as he posed for photos with his old “War of the Worlds” and “Minority Report” collaborator Steven Spielberg, up for best director for “The Fabelmans,” and Michelle Yeoh, up for best actress for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the year’s most nominated film.

    In a pairing representative of the random-seeming seating chart, Odessa Rae, producer of the nominated documentary feature “Navalny,” chatted with table-mate and best actor nominee Colin Farrell during the lunch of risotto and oyster mushrooms cut to resemble scallops.

    Michelle Williams, from left, Hong Chau, Tom Cruise, and Steven Spielberg attend the 95th Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon on February 13, 2023. (Photo | AP)

    At another table nearby, Brian Tyree Henry, best supporting actor nominee for “Causeway,” laughed with Jenny Slate, voice star of animated feature nominee “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On.”

    The centerpiece of the luncheon is the class picture, the staging of which feels like a high school graduation. An academy governor read off the names of 182 nominees and their peers cheered as they walked up and took their spots on the risers.

    “Jamie Lee Curtis,” producer DeVon Franklin enunciated loudly into the mic. Curtis leapt up and got a big ovation as she climbed alone to the top tier.

    Henry, a first-time nominee, stood at his table, raised an arm in the air and yelped when his name was called.

    Ke Huy Quan, another first-timer, up for best supporting actor for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” ran up to his spot in front and shook his fists in triumph. He hugged “Babylon” composer Justin Hurwitz, assigned to stand next to him.

    Bassett, nominated for best supporting actress for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” got one of the afternoon’s biggest cheers when her name was called, and hugged Cruise when she got to her spot next to him.

    The luncheon also functions as an Oscars orientation for would-be winners. Yang emphasized that acceptance speeches at next month’s ceremony have to be kept to 45 seconds.

    “Let’s say it together, 45 seconds,” she told the crowd.

    They repeated it back to her in unison, though at least a few are sure to forget — or ignore her — once they get the statue in their hands.

    LOS ANGELES: The slap sat front and center at Monday’s Oscar nominees luncheon.

    So much so that motion picture academy president Janet Yang neither had to describe it nor say the names Will Smith or Chris Rock for the ballroom full of award hopefuls to know what she was talking about when she aired her regrets.

    “I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars,” Yang told a crowd that included Tom Cruise, Angela Bassett, Cate Blanchett and Steven Spielberg during her opening remarks. “What happened onstage was wholly unacceptable and the response from our organization was inadequate.”

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did little in response to Smith storming the stage and slapping Rock during last year’s Oscars telecast or in the immediate aftermath. It was nearly two weeks before its board of governors voted to ban Smith from the Oscars and all other academy events for 10 years. Smith had already preemptively resigned as an academy member.

    “We learned from this that the academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions,” Yang said, “and particularly in times of crisis you must act swiftly, compassionately and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less form us going forward.”

    Yang, who was not president at the time, was interrupted by a mild round of applause, and did not elaborate further, moving on to happier topics.

    Oscar nominees pose for their 2023 class photo at the annual #Oscars luncheon. pic.twitter.com/yYwFiGqdsW
    — AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) February 14, 2023
    She was met with whooping applause when told the nominees that all categories will be shown live on the March 12 ABC telecast. Last year, in a controversy largely eclipsed by the slap, several Oscars were handed out in a pre-telecast ceremony and edited versions of winners’ speeches were squeezed into the main show.

    The luncheon is a warm, feel-good affair where nominees are in general treated with equality, and a relative unknown up for best animated short might be seated next to an A-lister up for best actor.

    Some, of course, attract more attention than others, and don’t need to wear the nametags handed out to all.

    Tom Cruise, nominated as a producer for best picture candidate “Top Gun: Maverick,” managed briefly to mix in with the crowd in a ballroom at the Beverly Hilton before he attracted a crowd of gawkers.

    He and Jamie Lee Curtis, up for best supporting actress for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” pressed their foreheads together and giggled when they bumped into each other.

    He smiled widely as he posed for photos with his old “War of the Worlds” and “Minority Report” collaborator Steven Spielberg, up for best director for “The Fabelmans,” and Michelle Yeoh, up for best actress for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the year’s most nominated film.

    In a pairing representative of the random-seeming seating chart, Odessa Rae, producer of the nominated documentary feature “Navalny,” chatted with table-mate and best actor nominee Colin Farrell during the lunch of risotto and oyster mushrooms cut to resemble scallops.

    Michelle Williams, from left, Hong Chau, Tom Cruise, and Steven Spielberg attend the 95th Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon on February 13, 2023. (Photo | AP)

    At another table nearby, Brian Tyree Henry, best supporting actor nominee for “Causeway,” laughed with Jenny Slate, voice star of animated feature nominee “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On.”

    The centerpiece of the luncheon is the class picture, the staging of which feels like a high school graduation. An academy governor read off the names of 182 nominees and their peers cheered as they walked up and took their spots on the risers.

    “Jamie Lee Curtis,” producer DeVon Franklin enunciated loudly into the mic. Curtis leapt up and got a big ovation as she climbed alone to the top tier.

    Henry, a first-time nominee, stood at his table, raised an arm in the air and yelped when his name was called.

    Ke Huy Quan, another first-timer, up for best supporting actor for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” ran up to his spot in front and shook his fists in triumph. He hugged “Babylon” composer Justin Hurwitz, assigned to stand next to him.

    Bassett, nominated for best supporting actress for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” got one of the afternoon’s biggest cheers when her name was called, and hugged Cruise when she got to her spot next to him.

    The luncheon also functions as an Oscars orientation for would-be winners. Yang emphasized that acceptance speeches at next month’s ceremony have to be kept to 45 seconds.

    “Let’s say it together, 45 seconds,” she told the crowd.

    They repeated it back to her in unison, though at least a few are sure to forget — or ignore her — once they get the statue in their hands.

  • World should stop judging Will Smith for slapping Chris Rock: Kevin Hart

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Actor Kevin Hart continues defending Hollywood star Will Smith in the wake of the Oscars slap.

    In a new interview, the comedian insinuated that his friend deserves a shot at redemption and that people should stop judging Will after slapping Chris Rock, reports aceshowbiz.com.

    Sitting down with N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN on Revolt’s ‘Drink Champs’, Kevin was asked during a round of Quicktime or Slime who he’d choose between Ice Cube or Will Smith.

    Carefully picking his words, the ‘Ride Along’ star deliberately responded, “Dark times deserve f**king great light. I’m not going to s**t on my brother. They both are my brothers, but I’m not going to take time to s**t on them.”

    Making his choice, the 43-year-old said, “I’m going to say Will Smith and here’s why: Will Smith is not only a legend, he’s not only a GOAT…” When N.O.R.E. interrupted him to call Will “a gangster” for slapping Rock, Hart seemed to disagree saying, “Those are your words, not mine.”

    Hart went on to praise Smith: “Will Smith is the reason why the idea of African Americans (being) attached to global IP is normal. Studios took the gamble on more leads of colour because of the work that Will Smith and (Denzel Washington) were on in the beginning.”

    ALSO READ | Will Smith gets permanently banned from ‘SNL’ after slapping Chris Rock

    He added, “You need the faces that are giving a universal return. I’m not going to s**t on Will and act like he wasn’t that guy.”

    As for the aftermath of the Oscars slap, Kevin weighed in, “People make mistakes, and from mistakes, they should be allowed time to recover.”

    He went on noting that Smith and Rock should figure things out between them privately, stressing, “And that this is no longer the world’s problem. It’s Will and Chris’ problem, and let them deal with that. The world should step out of it.”

    Hart previously said that Will is “apologetic” and in a “better space” months after his controversial behaviour at the awards-giving event.

    Interestingly, Hart also maintains a good friendship with Rock. In the same month, he and the Amsterdam star co-headlined a comedy show at Madison Square Garden in NYC, during which Dave Chappelle opened for them.

    LOS ANGELES: Actor Kevin Hart continues defending Hollywood star Will Smith in the wake of the Oscars slap.

    In a new interview, the comedian insinuated that his friend deserves a shot at redemption and that people should stop judging Will after slapping Chris Rock, reports aceshowbiz.com.

    Sitting down with N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN on Revolt’s ‘Drink Champs’, Kevin was asked during a round of Quicktime or Slime who he’d choose between Ice Cube or Will Smith.

    Carefully picking his words, the ‘Ride Along’ star deliberately responded, “Dark times deserve f**king great light. I’m not going to s**t on my brother. They both are my brothers, but I’m not going to take time to s**t on them.”

    Making his choice, the 43-year-old said, “I’m going to say Will Smith and here’s why: Will Smith is not only a legend, he’s not only a GOAT…” When N.O.R.E. interrupted him to call Will “a gangster” for slapping Rock, Hart seemed to disagree saying, “Those are your words, not mine.”

    Hart went on to praise Smith: “Will Smith is the reason why the idea of African Americans (being) attached to global IP is normal. Studios took the gamble on more leads of colour because of the work that Will Smith and (Denzel Washington) were on in the beginning.”

    ALSO READ | Will Smith gets permanently banned from ‘SNL’ after slapping Chris Rock

    He added, “You need the faces that are giving a universal return. I’m not going to s**t on Will and act like he wasn’t that guy.”

    As for the aftermath of the Oscars slap, Kevin weighed in, “People make mistakes, and from mistakes, they should be allowed time to recover.”

    He went on noting that Smith and Rock should figure things out between them privately, stressing, “And that this is no longer the world’s problem. It’s Will and Chris’ problem, and let them deal with that. The world should step out of it.”

    Hart previously said that Will is “apologetic” and in a “better space” months after his controversial behaviour at the awards-giving event.

    Interestingly, Hart also maintains a good friendship with Rock. In the same month, he and the Amsterdam star co-headlined a comedy show at Madison Square Garden in NYC, during which Dave Chappelle opened for them.

  • Will Smith gets permanently banned from ‘SNL’ after slapping Chris Rock

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Hollywood star Will Smith is apparently not welcome back on “Saturday Night Live.” The actor is reportedly being permanently banned after slapping comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards.

    The ‘NBC’ sketch series is reportedly banning the actor permanently following the Oscars slap, reports aceshowbiz.com.

    According to Radar Online, the ‘King Richard’ star will never be invited back to ‘SNL’ after what he did to Chris Rock at the March event. The comedian is a former important part of the show, having starred in it from 1990 to 1993.

    “Smith will never ever be invited back to ‘SNL’ after what he did to Chris,” a source told the site. “The show is a temple comedian, and no one wants him around anymore.”

    “Forget hosting, Will won’t even be able to get a ticket to sit in the audience anymore. He’s not welcome.”

    The show’s producers are allegedly also worried that if Smith comes to the show again, other big celebrities will refuse to join in the future.

    “If Will Smith was invited back, ‘SNL’ would never get another big celebrity ever again,” the source explains.

    “Stars would rightly boycott the show if he was welcomed inside Studio 8H.”

    ALSO READ | Will Smith posts an apology video for slapping Chris Rock

    Will slapped Chris at the 2022 Academy Awards in March over the latter’s joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. He then shouted at the comedian, who was presenting onstage, twice to “keep my wife’s name out of your f**king mouth!”

    Will has apologised several times for his behaviour at the live event.

    In a video posted in July, the actor said, “It’s all fuzzy. I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behaviour was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk. I hate when I let people down. So it hurts, it hurts me psychologically and emotionally to know I didn’t live up to people’s image and impression of me.”

    “And the work I’m trying to do is, I am deeply remorseful and I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself,” he added. “I’m human and I made a mistake, and I’m trying not to think of myself as a piece of s**t.”

    However, Rock seemingly didn’t accept the apology as he said earlier this month, “F**k your hostage video,” during his stand-up show at London’s O2 Arena. He went on calling out the Oscar-winning actor saying that Will had managed to do an impersonation of a “perfect man for 30 years” before showing he is “just as ugly as the rest of us.”

    LOS ANGELES: Hollywood star Will Smith is apparently not welcome back on “Saturday Night Live.” The actor is reportedly being permanently banned after slapping comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards.

    The ‘NBC’ sketch series is reportedly banning the actor permanently following the Oscars slap, reports aceshowbiz.com.

    According to Radar Online, the ‘King Richard’ star will never be invited back to ‘SNL’ after what he did to Chris Rock at the March event. The comedian is a former important part of the show, having starred in it from 1990 to 1993.

    “Smith will never ever be invited back to ‘SNL’ after what he did to Chris,” a source told the site. “The show is a temple comedian, and no one wants him around anymore.”

    “Forget hosting, Will won’t even be able to get a ticket to sit in the audience anymore. He’s not welcome.”

    The show’s producers are allegedly also worried that if Smith comes to the show again, other big celebrities will refuse to join in the future.

    “If Will Smith was invited back, ‘SNL’ would never get another big celebrity ever again,” the source explains.

    “Stars would rightly boycott the show if he was welcomed inside Studio 8H.”

    ALSO READ | Will Smith posts an apology video for slapping Chris Rock

    Will slapped Chris at the 2022 Academy Awards in March over the latter’s joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. He then shouted at the comedian, who was presenting onstage, twice to “keep my wife’s name out of your f**king mouth!”

    Will has apologised several times for his behaviour at the live event.

    In a video posted in July, the actor said, “It’s all fuzzy. I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behaviour was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk. I hate when I let people down. So it hurts, it hurts me psychologically and emotionally to know I didn’t live up to people’s image and impression of me.”

    “And the work I’m trying to do is, I am deeply remorseful and I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself,” he added. “I’m human and I made a mistake, and I’m trying not to think of myself as a piece of s**t.”

    However, Rock seemingly didn’t accept the apology as he said earlier this month, “F**k your hostage video,” during his stand-up show at London’s O2 Arena. He went on calling out the Oscar-winning actor saying that Will had managed to do an impersonation of a “perfect man for 30 years” before showing he is “just as ugly as the rest of us.”

  • Regina Hall reacts on Will Smith’s Oscars slap apology

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: American actor and comedian Regina Hall shared her reaction to Will Smith’s apology for the Oscars slap incident.

    According to People Magazine reports, during a red-carpet appearance for her upcoming movie ‘Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul,’ Hall shared, “I think it’s a tough thing and I know it’s a difficult road.”

    She added, “The first step is he apologized. How people see it, it’s up to them … I know that wasn’t easy. Redemption. The whole point is we can evolve from maybe where we are,” Hall continued.

    Hall, who co-starred with Jada Pinkett Smith, Smith’s wife in the 2017 comedy ‘Girls Trip’, also co-hosted the Oscars in March alongside comedians Wanda Sykes and Amy Schumer, as per People reports.

    During the Oscars 2022 ceremony, Smith punched presenter and comedian Chris Rock on the Dolby Theatre stage after he made a G.I. Jane joke about Jada Pinkett’s baldness.

    After the incident on July 29, Smith took to his Instagram handle and shared an emotional video explaining why he didn’t apologise to Rock after accepting the best actor award for his performance in “King Richard” shortly after he slapped the comedian for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s short haircut.

    “I was fogged out by that point,” Smith said, explaining why it took so long to offer Rock an apology. “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.”

    Smith expressed his guilt for his actions, calling them “unacceptable.” The actor has stated that he reacted violently because Rock’s joke alluded to Pinkett Smith’s hair loss due to alopecia. It’s a struggle that Pinkett Smith has previously addressed publicly.

    “That was one of the things about that moment. I just didn’t realize,” Smith reflects. “I wasn’t thinking but many people got hurt at 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.”

    “I made a choice on my own, from my own experiences from my history with Chris. Jada had nothing to do [with it],” Smith said, before acknowledging the “heat” his wife and kids have taken.

    Smith also addresses how his actions affected his fellow nominees towards the end of the video, saying, “I won because you voted for me.”

    “It really breaks my heart to have stolen and tarnished your moment,” Smith said, pointing to Questlove’s reaction, who took the Oscars stage right after the incident for winning best documentary for his project Summer of Soul. “Sorry isn’t really sufficient.”

    He takes on what he would say to folks who looked up to him prior to the Oscars event as he concludes the video. Smith says he dislikes “when I let people down” and calls disappointing people “my central trauma.”

    “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 continues, adding that he’s “deeply remorseful” but trying to do so “without being 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 shit.”

    “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 offers as his ending note. “And if you hang on, I promise we’ll be able to be friends again.”

    After the incident, Smith has apologised three times in various forms.

    The slap led to months of fallout for the Best Actor winner, who resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Smith was banned from appearing for 10 years.

    Wanda Sykes during a May comedy-tour stop in Orlando, Florida, shared the moments from the ceremony as she was sitting in the audience. She stated, “I’m still traumatized. I can’t talk about it. I get emotional,” as per People.

    The star continued, referring to how Smith remained seated during the ceremony before later winning the Best Actor award, “I couldn’t believe he was still sitting there, like an a–h—. Shouldn’t you be sitting there with a lawyer or LAPD, motherf—–?”

    Amy Schumer also shared her thoughts about the slap. She stated, “It was just a f—ing bummer.”

    “All I can say is that it was really sad, and I think it says so much about toxic masculinity. It was really upsetting,” Schumer added.

    WASHINGTON: American actor and comedian Regina Hall shared her reaction to Will Smith’s apology for the Oscars slap incident.

    According to People Magazine reports, during a red-carpet appearance for her upcoming movie ‘Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul,’ Hall shared, “I think it’s a tough thing and I know it’s a difficult road.”

    She added, “The first step is he apologized. How people see it, it’s up to them … I know that wasn’t easy. Redemption. The whole point is we can evolve from maybe where we are,” Hall continued.

    Hall, who co-starred with Jada Pinkett Smith, Smith’s wife in the 2017 comedy ‘Girls Trip’, also co-hosted the Oscars in March alongside comedians Wanda Sykes and Amy Schumer, as per People reports.

    During the Oscars 2022 ceremony, Smith punched presenter and comedian Chris Rock on the Dolby Theatre stage after he made a G.I. Jane joke about Jada Pinkett’s baldness.

    After the incident on July 29, Smith took to his Instagram handle and shared an emotional video explaining why he didn’t apologise to Rock after accepting the best actor award for his performance in “King Richard” shortly after he slapped the comedian for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s short haircut.

    “I was fogged out by that point,” Smith said, explaining why it took so long to offer Rock an apology. “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.”

    Smith expressed his guilt for his actions, calling them “unacceptable.” The actor has stated that he reacted violently because Rock’s joke alluded to Pinkett Smith’s hair loss due to alopecia. It’s a struggle that Pinkett Smith has previously addressed publicly.

    “That was one of the things about that moment. I just didn’t realize,” Smith reflects. “I wasn’t thinking but many people got hurt at 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.”

    “I made a choice on my own, from my own experiences from my history with Chris. Jada had nothing to do [with it],” Smith said, before acknowledging the “heat” his wife and kids have taken.

    Smith also addresses how his actions affected his fellow nominees towards the end of the video, saying, “I won because you voted for me.”

    “It really breaks my heart to have stolen and tarnished your moment,” Smith said, pointing to Questlove’s reaction, who took the Oscars stage right after the incident for winning best documentary for his project Summer of Soul. “Sorry isn’t really sufficient.”

    He takes on what he would say to folks who looked up to him prior to the Oscars event as he concludes the video. Smith says he dislikes “when I let people down” and calls disappointing people “my central trauma.”

    “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 continues, adding that he’s “deeply remorseful” but trying to do so “without being 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 shit.”

    “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 offers as his ending note. “And if you hang on, I promise we’ll be able to be friends again.”

    After the incident, Smith has apologised three times in various forms.

    The slap led to months of fallout for the Best Actor winner, who resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Smith was banned from appearing for 10 years.

    Wanda Sykes during a May comedy-tour stop in Orlando, Florida, shared the moments from the ceremony as she was sitting in the audience. She stated, “I’m still traumatized. I can’t talk about it. I get emotional,” as per People.

    The star continued, referring to how Smith remained seated during the ceremony before later winning the Best Actor award, “I couldn’t believe he was still sitting there, like an a–h—. Shouldn’t you be sitting there with a lawyer or LAPD, motherf—–?”

    Amy Schumer also shared her thoughts about the slap. She stated, “It was just a f—ing bummer.”

    “All I can say is that it was really sad, and I think it says so much about toxic masculinity. It was really upsetting,” Schumer added.