29 March,2022 07:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Sonia Lulla
Will Smith
Hours before the Academy Awards, actor Sean Penn had seemingly set the tone for what could have been the subject of discussion at the 94th Academy Awards - he vowed to publicly melt his Oscar statuettes if the organising body declined to offer Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy a platform at the event. With a war raging in another part of the globe, it was assumed that matters pertaining to Ukraine and invading country Russia would form the crux of the evening's gala. However, social media newsfeeds were painted red with another piece of information - Will Smith rushed on stage to slap presenter Chris Rock for making light of Jada Pinkett-Smith's illness. "Jada, I can't wait for GI Jane 2," mocked Rock in a reference to the character of a Navy Seal who sports an almost-bald look. Smith's wife Jada has been battling baldness due to the autoimmune condition, alopecia. While Smith seemed to initially laugh along, he reportedly became visibly upset after noticing Jada's discomfort, and subsequently paced towards the stage.
Will Smith, with his award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for King Richard, with daughter Willow and wife Jada Pinkett Smith
Hurling abuses at the comedian after slapping him in front of the audience, Smith repeatedly asked him to avoid making any reference to his wife. So baffling were the turn of events that watchers assumed it was a pre-planned act. As the hours passed by, it became evident that it wasn't.
A visibly emotional Smith was later consoled by contemporaries, including Denzel Washington and Bradley Cooper. Smith, who won his first Academy Award moments later for King Richard, said, "In this business, you got to have people disrespecting you. And you got to pretend like that's okay. I want to apologise to the Academy [and] to my fellow nominees... Love will make you do crazy things." Ironic as it is, Smith said tennis coach Richard Williams - whose portrayal in King Richard earned him yesterday's gong - was a "fierce defender of his family".
Jason Momoa wears a pocket square in the colours of the Ukrainian flag in a show of solidarity. Pics/AFP
Oscar 2022 will inarguably be remembered for this unfortunate event, which seemed to overshadow all the important - albeit predictable - developments at Sunday's gala. Co-hosts Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes delivered a joint opening monologue that took aim at hot topics, including sexism, Florida's "Don't Say Gay" legislation, and the migration of audiences from movie theatres to OTT.
Benedict Cumberbatch, Jason Momoa, and Jamie Lee Curtis were among those who sported blue ribbons to show solidarity with Ukraine at the gala, where a moment of silence was also observed. "We'd like to have a moment of silence to show our support for the people of Ukraine currently facing invasion, conflict and prejudice within their own borders," read a screen caption, as appeals to contribute to Ukraine were also made.
Viewers witnessed several historic moments as Academy Awards emerged to be an inclusive affair
Jane Campion became the third woman to win Best Director, in the only prize of the night to be won by The Power of the Dog
Ariana DeBose became the first televised Oscar winner of the night, for Supporting Actress for West Side Story
Troy Kotsur became the first deaf man to win an acting Oscar for CODA. Kotsur's win was greeted by the audience raising their hands in a gesture of silent applause
Visible omissions from the in memoriam included both Lata Mangeshkar and Dilip Kumar. The Academy, which has previously paid tribute to actors like Sridevi, Irrfan Khan, and Sushant Singh Rajput, gave no reason behind the omission, which sparked criticism in India.
