Comedian and actor extraordinaire Rob Schneider had finally spoken out after the highly criticized worst moment at the 2022 Oscars when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. Schneider, a close friend of Rock, didn’t mince words in an appearance on “The Kyle & Jackie O Show,” calling Smith an “a—hole” and “fraud.”
Actor Rob Schneider calls out Will Smith for being a liar and a fraud for slapping Chris Rock at The Oscars:
“He’s really an a**hole” pic.twitter.com/vDB3s9sGuH
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) June 12, 2024
During the radio show, Schneider said that Smith had been pretending to be something he wasn’t for years. “Will Smith is a t—,” Schneider said bluntly, not tip-toeing around the issue. He expressed his disappointment, discussed how the situation was dealt with, and discussed how Smith’s actions exposed him and who he was. Schneider stressed that the slap is “deep, dark” and not just a spontaneous reaction, let alone executing it in front of millions of viewers.
Schneider stressed how shocking it was to watch such an act of violence reigned on an individual being committed before a large audience of perhaps even others towards a respected comedian such as Chris Rock.
During his interview, Schneider did not mince his words when speaking of Will Smith. According to him, Smith has concealed his identity for years, and that night and day during the Oscars, a clear revelation was given. “It’s like a mask fell off,” he said. What we saw that night was the true Will Smith, not the charming persona we’ve been fed for years.”
When reached for comments, Schneider did not shy away from tearing into the Academy for rushing in with political correctness, which, according to him, had gone way too far.
“The Academy’s reaction was just political correctness gone too far,” Schneider argued. “They should have hindered the unacceptable behavior even more by standing up to it.”
Schneider defended his friend, Chris Rock, and dubbed him “a great legendary comedian” and one of the greatest during his time. “If it weren’t for Chris Rock, you wouldn’t have this whole wave of comedy that came after. He kicked open the doors,” Schneider said, explaining Rock’s significant influence in the comedy world.
Schneider, on his part, also said that the incident deeply affected Chris Rock. He shared a moment where Rock took much of that time and didn’t want to talk to anyone for some time.
“But I don’t blame him,” Schneider said. “But it took him a while to get to where he could respond because it was a lot. He’s a compassionate, great guy, and he’s a genius.”
For those who forget, the incident occurred during the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022. During the short show for Best Documentary Feature, Chris Rock joked about Jada Pinkett Smith being bald, looking as if he were the main character’s wife from G.I. Jane. At this time, the actress has been publicly battling issues with alopecia.
In a moment, Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife. Will Smith walked on stage and slapped him, shouting back at him, “Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth!” The room sat stunned, as did viewers from across the planet watching the spectacle.
Will Smith received the Oscar for Best Actor on that night. In his speech, he apologized to the Academy and other contenders but had no apology for Rock. The very next day, Smith used social media to apologize to Chris Rock publicly and termed his actions as “unacceptable and inexcusable.”
Smith faced heavy penalties. On April 1, 2022, he resigned from the Academy and was subsequently banned from attending Academy activities for ten years. The slap overshadowed the rest of the Oscars gala evening soon to become the hottest SMS-based subject in the industry.
Rob Schneider’s comments have, in effect, touched off a broad dispute. The opinion is divisible; some perceive his assessment on account of thinking that the action by Smith was somewhat uncalled-for and deserved the hard blow. The others believe that he went a little too far and was unnecessarily vitriolic.
People have had opinions and sparked many arousing viewpoints about the controversial incident by itself. Many can understand how it was the emotional part of Will Smith’s side to respond to the joke about his wife’s medical condition. Yet, others find this totally unjustifiable under any circumstances and much more if occurring so publicly and with such a prestigious event.
Days later, Jada Pinkett Smith took her Instagram to comment on it. “This is a season for healing. And I’m here for it.” A few days later, on her talk show Red Table Talk, she took a quick Japanese turn on the incident and hoped that Will Smith and Chris Rock would one day find a way to make up. “My deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out, and find a way to come together in understanding.”.
The slap at the Oscars was undoubtedly a milestone for the industry, showing that personal relations, personal and public image, and professional conduct are very much entwined. Statements like Rob Schneider’s thicken this debate, reminding us all how far-reaching celebrities’ acts are.
