Will Smith Thinks Chris Rock’s ‘Distasteful’ Comedy Special Was ‘Below the Belt’—He’s ‘Embarrassed’ ‘Hurt’

When banks start crashing in the US, celebrities stop selling sunset and start selling sand!

been a yearsince Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars — and the banned actor’s award still doesn’t have his name on it. Janet Yang, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, told The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter” podcast that Smith, 54, may be prohibited from the show or any Academy events for nine more years, but he’s still welcome to get his nameplate engraved onto his Best Actor trophy. “He earned the Oscar.

EXCLUSIVE: Vanessa Hudgens is set to reprise her role as weapons expert Kelly in Bad Boys 4 with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.

Oscars has revealed that a number of Will Smith jokes were cut from Jimmy Kimmel’s script.At last year’s ceremony, Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage for making a joke about the hair of his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Just moments later, Smith received the Best Actor award for his performance in King Richard.While giving his opening monologue at the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday (March 12), presenter Kimmel jokingly referenced the incident, saying: “If anyone in this theatre commits an act of violence at any point during this show, you will be awarded the Oscar for Best Actor and permitted to give a 19-minute-long speech.”However, there were additional jokes about the Smith-Rock slap that didn’t make Kimmel’s final script.Molly McNearney, an executive producer of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Kimmel’s wife, explained that the writing team decided to restrict the number of jokes about the incident, as they didn’t want to focus too much on the past.“We didn’t want to make this year all about last year,” McNearney told Variety.“I cannot tell you how many Will Smith jokes we had that then we got rid of.

Jimmy Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNearney, says her husband took it easy on Will Smith at the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday.Kimmel hosted Hollywood’s biggest night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, one year after Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage in response to Rock making a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.McNearney, an executive producer for this year's Oscars, tells  why her husband didn’t go «harder» on Smith. «We didn't want to make this year all about last year,» McNearney explains. «I cannot tell you how many Will Smith jokes we had that then we got rid of. We think that only the best for that room made it.

Not every joke about Will Smith made it into Jimmy Kimmel’s big monologue.

“We didn’t want to make this year all about last year,” McNearney, 45, told Variety. “I cannot tell you how many Will Smith jokes we had that then we got rid of.

Will Smith was keeping a low profile while the 95th Academy Awards were taking place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Oscars since Will Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock on stage rolled around, fans and even fellow celebrities alike couldn't help but recall the shocking moment.The Academy ensured no such moment would ever happen again, even having a crisis team involved, and Will was banned from attending any Academy events for the next ten years.Chris on the other hand, is free to return, though it seems he preferred to keep his distance on the anniversary of the altercation, and not only did he not attend the Oscars – he has claimed he was however asked to host but turned it down – but he was far away from the Dolby Theater and Los Angeles too.WATCH: Will Smith apologizes to Academy after Chris Rock altercationMORE: Chris Rock's daughter Zahra breaks silence after being called 'rich and spoiled' by famous dadRight as Hollywood's biggest and most beloved stars gathered on the red – or rather champagne – carpet, the comedian was spotted across the country all the way in Miami. However, he still tuned in and watched the show, attending a watch party hosted by fellow comedian Whitney Cummings at the Four Seasons Hotel in Surfside, Florida, in partnership with Vanity Fair and injectable brand Xeomin, who Christina Aguilera recently partnered with.MORE: Who is Chris Rock's ex-wife and why did they split?In a video shared on Twitter by one of the party's attendees, Whitney is seen standing on top of the bar, shocked as Chris made his seemingly unexpected appearance.. @chrisrock just walked into the @VanityFair @XeominAesthetic #oscars #Oscars2023 viewing party in Miami and we were not prepared! @WhitneyCummings was pretty shocked as well..

Will Smith was keeping a low profile while the 95th Academy Awards were taking place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday.Not too far away from the event in San Dimas, California, the 54-year-old actor was seen driving a car around 4 p.m. PT.The sighting comes about a year after Smith made headlines for slapping Chris Rock across the face during the 2022 Oscars in reaction to the comedian making a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Leave it to Jimmy Kimmel to dress down Hollywood — right to their faces!

“welcome to Miami” on Oscars night.The comedian, 58, spent the evening at a viewing party for the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday and his surprise attendance shocked guests — especially stand-up comedian Whitney Cummings.The “Made of Honor” star, 40, had been standing on a bar in Miami, Florida, when she spotted the “Grown Ups” actor coming towards her, as seen in a Twitter video.“Chris Rock is in the f – – king building!” she excitedly yelled into a microphone while downing a drink.The bash was held by Xeomin Aesthetic, an injection used to help lessen frown lines in between eyebrows.At the 2022 Oscars, Will Smith smacked presenter Rock following a joke the latter made onstage about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.As a result, the “King Richard” star — who won the golden trophy for Best Actor that same year — was banned from attending the ceremony for 10 years.. @chrisrock just walked into the @VanityFair @XeominAesthetic #oscars #Oscars2023 viewing party in Miami and we were not prepared! @WhitneyCummings was pretty shocked as well..

Oscars for a second year running.The actor, who achieved meme status after he was seen texting at last year’s ceremony, has gone viral again for his reaction during host Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue at the 2023 event.In the monologue Kimmel referenced Will Smith’s infamous slap against Chris Rock and named various audience members who could protect him if a similar incident were to happen, based on the character’s they play.After naming Pedro Pascal and Michael B.

2023 Oscars on Sunday.Will Smith didn’t return to violently clobber Chris Rock. He couldn’t.

Halle Berry took over for Will Smith at the 2023 Oscars.

Must-see moments! The stars were shining bright in Hollywood as celebrity A-listers descended upon the 2023 Oscars on Sunday, March 12 — and the fun continued all night long.

One of Oscar’s long-running traditions is for an acting winner to return the following year to present the award to the distaff winner in their category the following year.

Tim Allen and his wife Jane attended an Oscars viewing party Sunday night as the actor poked fun at Will Smith's infamous slap. Allen, 69, shared a joke about Smith slapping Chris Rock during the 2022 Oscars ceremony on Twitter. "Of [sic] to a Academy Award dinner and I wonder if tonight's host will wear one of these?" He included a photo of a padded boxing helmet with the tweet.

It was inevitable: one year after the Will Smith-Chris Rock slap incident at the 2022 Oscars, there’s been no shortage of moments making light of the situation at the incident one year later at the 2023 Oscars.

For the first time since the ceremony’s inception the 2023 Oscars featured a non-red carpet, with the Academy instead opting for a champagne colour. Organisers said the colour was chosen to “evoke the sunset” and that the decision had been approved by Academy boss Bill Kramer.The decision came from creative consultants Lisa Love, a longtime Vogue contributor, and Raul Avila, the creative director for the Met Gala in New York.

The elephant in the room. It’s been one year since Will Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards, but the incident’s aftermath was very much present at the 2023 Oscars.

Oscars 2023, host Jimmy Kimmel addressed last year’s slap by Will Smith.At the 2022 ceremony, which also took place at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage.Rock had made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head – a style she chose as a way of dealing with the alopecia she suffers from. Smith, who is married to Pinkett Smith, then walked on stage and slapped the comedian.Smith later went on to win the award for Best Actor for his role in King Richard and gave a lengthy speech in which he highlighted similarities between himself and his character of Richard Williams. “Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” Smith said.

Questlove returned to the Oscars on Sunday, one year after Will Smith overshadowed his win in the Best Documentary Feature Film category for his .Before taking the stage with co-presenter Riz Ahmed, host Jimmy Kimmel announced the pair, and took a moment to poke fun at the infamous Oscars slap.«Our category is Documentary Feature, which you may recall, is where we had that little skirmish last year,» Kimmel began, referencing the moment Smith took the stage to slap Chris Rock, after he made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith's baldness. «Hopefully, this time it goes off without a hitch, or at least without .»He continued, «Please put your hands together — and then keep them to yourself for Oscar winners Riz Ahmed and Amir „Questlove“ Thompson.»After getting praise from Ahmed, who told the musician turned filmmaker that he loved , the pair set the stage for the nominees before announcing  as the winner in the Best Documentary Feature Film category.The pair went on to present the award for Best Documentary Short next, which went to .The win marked yet another moment where last year's slap was part of a punchline.

Jimmy Kimmel is kicking off the night!

If you’re watching the 2023 Oscars and notice a notable absence and a bunch of jokes about punches, you might be wondering: is Will Smith banned from the Oscars? 

Will Smith, 54, cracked 94th Academy Awards presenter Chris Rock, 58, in the face after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair.“Well, whatever I say about it, it’s going to have to be great, right?” he told The Hollywood Reporter last week. “Because so much has been said and there’s so much focus on it.

Halle Berry and Jessica Chastain are doing double duty at the 2023 Oscars!On Sunday, ET's Nischelle Turner and Kevin Frazier spoke to the pair on the red carpet at the 95th Academy Awards, where Chastain revealed that they are presenting the Oscars for both Best Actor and Best Actress  -- the latter of which would've been Will Smith's job had the now infamous Oscars slap not occurred. «I've been so excited since they told me we were gonna present together,» Chastain gushed before revealing which category she and Berry would be presenting. «Best Actor and Actress,» she continued. «I'm a little nervous, because I'm not as graceful as she is. And the whole thing -- we have to walk by ourselves.

Jimmy Kimmel didn’t hold back when it came to last year’s biggest Oscars controversy.

You may be wondering if you’ll be seeing Will Smith at the 2023 Oscars this evening.

Will Smith and Chris Rock.Hollywood A-listers are hitting the red carpet and going for the gold again — likely with less controversy than last year — during the 95th Academy Awards at 8 p.m. Sunday, March 12. The 2023 Oscars ceremony — held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles — is airing live on ABC and streaming on ABC.com, Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV and FuboTV.“Everything Everywhere All at Once” seemingly has the most momentum of all nominees, topping this year’s nods with 11 — including Best Picture, Actress in a Leading Role (Michelle Yeoh), Actor in a Supporting Role (Ke Huy Quan) and Actress in a Supporting Role (Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu).

Thania Garcia It’s been nearly a year since Will Smith struck Chris Rock on the Academy Awards stage. As a result, Smith is not expected to attend the 95th annual Oscars ceremony on Sunday night. Under normal circumstances, Smith would be one of the presenters for the major awards categories in this year’s ceremony. He won best actor for his performance in “King Richard” last year. Traditionally, the previous year’s victors return to present an acting award. However, that will not be the case for the 2023 ceremony. Smith hit Rock on stage during the 94th annual awards show after the comedian, one of the night’s presenters, made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. Pinkett Smith had spoken publicly about her struggles with hair loss due to alopecia, though Rock claimed he did not know about the illness when he quipped, “Jada, I love you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see you.”

Will Smith is tapping back into the music. On Thursday, the Oscar-winning actor shared an Instagram video of him doing a duet with 10-year-old bass player Ellen Alaverdyan to his song, «Just the Two of Us.» «Wow!!! @ellenplaysbass, this is FANTASTIC. You are the Sweetest! Tagging in @jacross @elewrockjazz… Put somethin’ on it,» Smith captioned the video.In the clip, Alaverdyan plays the bass line of the song, while Smith chimes in with the first verse of the rap, before drummer, Jorge Sanchez, ends the video with a drum solo.

The Oscars return for the 95th time tonight, with stars including Normal People's Paul Mescal, Elvis star Austin Butler and acclaimed director James Cameron all hoping to pick up gongs.The prestigious Academy Awards have been marred by scandals including awards going missing never to be found again, the wrong winners being announced due to an accidental envelope swap and even a (possibly staged) streaker running across the stage in the middle of the live broadcast. Here are just a few of the best, worst and most memorable.

the most — unhinged, unexpected moments in the prestigious show’s 94-year history. “Jada, I love you. ‘GI Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see you,” Rock quipped about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head while presenting an award — prompting Smith to run onstage and strike him.

Katie Reul editor The latest episode of “Saturday Night Live” opened with Marcello Hernandez and Heidi Gardner masquerading as two reporters from Access Hollywood stationed at the 2023 Oscars red carpet. The two recounted the miserable circumstances they’ve endured throughout the day — from limited bathroom breaks to long lines outside of the Dolby Theatre — before Hernandez chimed in, “But it’s all worth it to ask Angela Bassett if she really did the thing.” The comment was aimed at “Westside Story” star Ariana DeBose, who celebrated leading and supporting actress nominees at the 2023 BAFTA awards with a now-viral rap. But the jokes didn’t stop there; Gardner proceeded to levy jabs at the Academy, satirizing the award show’s implementation of revised security protocol following last year’s ceremony.

Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the live broadcast last year.During the ceremony, a “crisis team” will be poised to intervene should anything unanticipated occur, Bill Kramer, the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, told Time last month.“We have a whole crisis team, something we’ve never had before, and many plans in place,” he said. “We’ve run many scenarios.