There are many today who are wrongfully claiming that this whole incident was staged.
Believe me, it wasn't, although I wish that it was.
How can I be so sure that this was real?
Well, just read Smith's acceptance speech that he gave later on in the night.
Here is a transcript:
"Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family. In this time in my life, in this moment, I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world.
Making this film I got to protect Aunjanue Ellis, who is one of the most strongest, most delicate people I ever met. I got to protect Saniyya and Demi, the two actresses that played Venus and Serena. I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people.
I know to do what we do, you gotta be able to take abuse, and you gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you gotta be able to have people disrespecting you and you gotta smile and you gotta pretend like that‘s OK.
But Richard Williams, and what I loved, thank you D. Denzel (Washington) said to me a few minutes ago, he said, “At your highest moment, be careful. That’s when the devil comes for you.”
It’s like I want to be a vessel for love. I want to say thank you to Venus and Serena.
I just spit, I hope they didn’t see that.
I want to say thank you to Venus and Serena and the entire Williams family for entrusting me with your story. That’s what I want to do. I want to be an ambassador of that kind of love and care and concern.
I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize 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. Tim and Trevor and Zach and Saniyya and Demi and Aunjunue and the entire cast and crew of “King Richard” and Venus and Serena and the entire Williams family.
Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said. I look like the crazy father just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things.
To my mother. Um, a lot of this moment is really complicated for me, but to my mother. She didn’t want to come out. She had her knitting friends, she has a knitting crew watching with her. Being able to love and care for my mother, my family, my wife.
I’m taking up too much time. Thank you for this honor, thank you for this moment. I thank you on behalf of Richard and Oracene, the entire Williams family. Thank you. I’m hoping the Academy invites me back. Thank you."
Whereas Smith tried to compare himself to Richard Williams who was "a fierce defender of his family", in reality, Smith was "a fierce ATTACKER of another man". And not just another man, but a COMEDIAN who simply made a joke, and a Hollywood movie-related joke at that in regards to "G.I. Jane".
Was Chris Rock's joke a bit out of line in that Smith's wife's head is basically bald due to her condition of alopecia?
Sure, but she definitely wasn't in any sort of real danger, and therefore didn't need to be "fiercely defended" by Smith's violent act.
Here's where it gets REALLY SCARY.
In case you don't already know this, both Will Smith and Denzel Washington claim to be Christians.
With this in mind, consider again what Smith said.
He said:
"I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world."
What?!?
If you honestly think (and he does) that God is calling you to go and physically assault another man, and on national TV no less, then you're greatly deluded.
Neither God nor Christ had anything to do with your sinful actions.
Ironically, if anybody truly represented the teachings of Christ in any way, shape, or form, then it was Chris Rock who basically "turned the other cheek" after you violently assaulted him.
It gets even worse.
Smith went on to say:
"I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people."
Again, what?!?
Smith honestly believes that he's being "called on" BY GOD, in context, "to love people and to protect people" by slapping another man in the face and then cursing at him.
If this wasn't bad enough, then it gets worse still.
Smith continued on to say:
"Thank you D. Denzel (Washington) said to me a few minutes ago, he said, 'At your highest moment, be careful. That’s when the devil comes for you.'"
Again, what?!?
First of all, if "your highest moment" is receiving a vain award as an actor, then God help you.
Secondly, by stating "That's when the devil comes for you", Denzel Washington, another deluded man, was clearly implying that Chris Rock was "the devil" while condoning Smith's slapping of him.
Smith continue on further still:
"It’s like I want to be a vessel for love."
Then stop violently assaulting people and cursing at them.
Again, Smith said, and this might be the scariest thing of all:
"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."
This alleged "beautiful moment" in which Smith was allegedly "shining a light on all of the people" was a moment in which he violently assaulted another man and then cursed at him.
If you read the rest of Smith's "apology" (read: "delusionary self-justification"), then you'll notice that he "apologized" (yeah, right) to the academy and to his fellow actors and actresses, but he never apologized to Chris Rock, the man who he ASSAULTED.
Anyhow, like I said, this wasn't staged, although I truly wish that it was.