Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has confirmed that comedian Chris Rock has “declined to file a police report” following an altercation with Oscar winner Will Smith at the 94th Academy Awards.
Smith, who later won the Oscar for Actor in a Lead Role, took to the stage and smacked Rock after the comedian made an insensitive joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, reports ‘Variety’.
A full statement from the LAPD reads: “LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards programme. The incident involved one individual slapping another.”
Referring obviously to Rock, it adds: “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.”
According to ‘Variety’, while presenting the award for the best documentary feature, Rock made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s shaved head by comparing it to the look of Demi Moore in the 1997 movie ‘G.I. Jane’.
Rock said he couldn’t wait to see Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia (a medical condition that results in abnormal hair loss), star in ‘G.I. Jane 2’, which led Smith to go up on stage and slap Rock. Smith returned to his seat and shouted: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f****** mouth!”
Smith later issued an apology in his tearful acceptance speech. The actor said: “I want to apologise to the Academy. I want to apologise to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I’m not crying for winning an award. It’s not about winning an award for me. It’s about being able to shine a light on all of the people.”
In between the slap and his best actor win, Smith met with Denzel Washington. The ‘Glory’ and ‘Training Day’ Oscar winner offered Smith the following advice: “At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you.”
Pinkett Smith announced last year that she had shaved her head after struggling with alopecia. After Rock made his ‘G.I. Jane’ joke, she was seen not laughing and rolling her eyes.
She wrote on Instagram last year: “Now at this point, I can only laugh … y’all know I’ve been struggling with alopecia … Mama’s gonna have to take it down to the scalp so nobody thinks she got brain surgery or something. Me and this alopecia are going to be friends … period!”
–IANS