'Violence isn’t ok': Hollywood reacts to Will Smith hitting Chris Rock at Oscars

Combination of pictures created on March 27, 2022 shows US actor Will Smith (left), US actress Jada Pinkett Smith attend the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 27, 2022 and US actor Chris Rock speaking onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 27, 2022. – Photo by Angela Weiss and Robyn Beck / AFP)

In a moment that will forever define the 2022 Academy Awards, Will Smith walked onstage after Chris Rock improvised a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith and smacked him in the face.

While the joke – which poked fun at Jada's shaved head, after the actress has been vocal about her alopecia diagnosis since 2018 – was in bad taste, fans and attendees at the show alike were absolutely stunned at the hit, which at first seemed improvised, but turned out to be a real-life emotional outburst from Smith.