Will Smith stormed the Oscars stage and struck comedian Chris Rock across the face for joking about his wife. Rock appeared on stage to present the Oscar for documentary feature and made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith being in “G.I. Jane” because of her shaved head. Rock said: "Jada, can't wait for GI Jane 2."

Smith, who was nominated for best actor for "King Richard," walked on stage and slapped Rock in what at first appeared to be a scripted joke. But the mood turned sombre moments later when Smith, back in his seat, shouted back, "Keep my wife's name out of your fu****g mouth." Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia which causes hair fall and publicly revealed her diagnosis in 2018. She has also addressed the same on various public occasions.

Many in the Oscars audience appeared stunned at the altercation. The moment sent the Dolby Theater into a stunned panic and caused a firestorm on Twitter. A few minutes later, P Diddy tried to defuse the situation, saying: “Will and Chris, we’re going to solve this like family at the Gold Party.”

Will Smith later went on to win his first Oscar for the film 'King Richard'. In a tearful acceptance speech, Will Smith said, “Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family. At this time in my life, I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world. I want to apologise to Academy, I want to apologise to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I am not crying for winning an award. It's not about winning an award for me. Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things. Thank you. I hope the Academy invites me back," he added.

It’s not the first time Rock has made a joke at the couple’s expense at the Oscars. When Rock hosted the Oscars in 2016, he brought the couple up in the context of the #OscarsSoWhite boycott, which Pinkett Smith supported.

VIA JAPANESE TELEVISION: The uncensored exchange between Will Smith and Chris Rock pic.twitter.com/j0Z184ZyXa

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) March 28, 2022