While the Academy Awards are known for viral moments like the Moonlight Best Picture win, this year's ceremony has continued to dominate the news cycle thanks to the infamous Will Smith slap of Chris Rock. Plenty of folks have weighed in on the viral moment, or joked about the wild turn of events. And now Sean “Diddy’ Combs continues the trend of making Will Smith Oscars slap comments at Awards ceremonies.
While Awards Season for the film world ended with the Oscars, other industries have continued to have these types of events. The Billboard Awards recently occurred, with Diddy hosting and executive producing the musical ceremony. And according to THR, it didn’t take long before the music icon made a reference to the Will Smith slap. This follows the example of both the BAFTAs and Grammys. Diddy was quoted on stage saying:
In the spirit of being free, if you’re feeling a little bit froggy tonight…and you decide to jump on this stage here tonight, I do suggest you have your affairs in order. And I say that with love, I say that with the ultimate and utmost love because love wins y’all.
Well, there you have it. Sean “Diddy” Combs has put a line in the sand, warning the audience not to walk on stage and get near him without catching hands. While Chris Rock didn’t retaliate against Will Smith during the Oscars, that’s not how everyone would react. This is a sentiment that was shared by comics in the wake of the Slap incident.
The Billboards are usually a more rowdy event than the Oscars, so it should perhaps come to no surprise that some shade was thrown at Will Smith infamously slapping Chris Rock on national television. The discourse surrounding that viral confrontation hasn’t slowed down in the past month and change, with plenty of celebrities weighing in on what should have happened during and after The Slap. As previously mentioned, Trevor Noah took aim at the event during the Grammys, while BAFTA host Richard Ayoade addressed it during his opening monologue.
As for the two celebrities involved, both Chris Rock and Will Smith’s career has seemingly been affected by the fallout of the slap at the Oscars. Rock is currently on tour, which has been selling super well. While the incident isn’t actually part of his set, the comedian has been making sly references to it every so often.
Will Smith, on the other hand, has been facing a great deal of backlash over The Slap. After dropping out of the film academy, he was banned from attending the Oscars for a decade. A number of his upcoming projects were put on hold, as Smith traveled to do a meditation retreat and seemingly get away from the noise.
It should also be interesting to see how Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock affects the way that award shows (especially their security) are run. For instance, The American Theatre Wing has issued a strict no-violence policy for the upcoming Tony Awards. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
