Sean Penn remains upset over Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, almost a year and a half removed from the infamous incident.
The Academy Award-winning actor, 63, wondered why the crowd responded with cheers for Smith, 54, later in the evening; why organizers prevented Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from appearing; and alluded to his own 1987 assault conviction in connection with the infamous incident.
The Santa Monica, California, resident speaks with Variety On Thursday, he dissected everything he believes was wrong with the events that unfolded at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on March 27, 2022.
“I don’t know Will Smith,” Penn told the outlet. ‘I met him once. He seemed very nice when I met him. He was so damn good in King Richard.”
Smith undermined his own career achievements and the vaunted honor he received by hitting the 58-year-old comic, Penn said, as the violent incident overshadowed all the evening’s events.
The latest: Sean Penn, 63, remains angry about Will Smith’s punch to Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, almost a year and a half removed from the infamous incident. Pictured in Berlin earlier this year
“Why the fuck did you just spit on yourself and everyone else with this stupid damn thing?” Penn said.
The Fast Times at Ridgemont High alum said he didn’t understand why Smith was allowed to stay, and why the crowd cheered Smith as he gave an emotional speech after winning the Oscar for Best Actor later in the evening; and at afterparties on the restless evening.
‘And you’re still there? Why are you cheering for his worst moment as a person?’ he said.
In the aftermath of the incident, 2022 Oscars producer Will Packer said further Good morning America that police would arrest Smith for the televised attack if Rock had agreed to press charges against him, which he did not.
“They said, ‘This is battery’ – the word they used at the time,” Packer said. ‘They said, ‘We’re going to get him. We’re prepared to get him now. You can file a complaint. We can arrest him.’ They explained the options.”
Penn brought up his own 1987 assault conviction, in which he served 33 days of a 60-day sentence in the Los Angeles County Jail after punching and spitting on an extra on the set of the movie Colors, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“Why did I go to jail for what you just did?” Penn told Variety on Thursday.
Penn said he was also angry that producers wouldn’t allow a message from Zelenskyy to air during the show, which took place just over a month after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Santa Monica, California, native dissected with Variety on Thursday everything he believes was wrong with the events that unfolded at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on March 27, 2022. Pictured earlier this month in Ukraine
Penn brought up his own 1987 assault conviction, in which he served 33 days of a 60-day sentence in the Los Angeles County Jail after striking and spitting on an extra on the set of the film Colors
The Milk star said Smith undermined his own career achievements and the vaunted honor he received in hitting the 58-year-old comic, as the violent incident would overshadow all the evening’s events.
“The Oscars producer was like, ‘Oh, he’s not light-hearted enough,’” Penn said. “Well, guess what you got instead? Will Smith!’
Penn said if the Ukrainian leader had been able to deliver a solemn message, it would have set a subdued tone that might have made Smith think twice about storming the stage.
“This damn bull*** wouldn’t have happened to Zelenskyy,” Penn said. “Will Smith would never have left that seat to be part of stupid violence. It would never have happened.’
The incident at the 2022 Oscars occurred after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, saying, “Jada, I love you GI Jane 2, I can’t wait to see it!”
The reference was to the 1997 film in which Demi Moore had a shaved head. (Pinkett Smith, 51, has been diagnosed with alopecia, which causes hair loss.)
Smith then walked on stage and punched Rock, then returned to his seat and yelled at him twice, “Keep my wife’s name out of your damn mouth!” in front of a stunned audience.
Later in the evening — in his acceptance speech after winning the Best Actor Oscar for his role as tennis patriarch Richard Williams in King Richard — Smith apologized to the Academy and other nominees but made no reference to Rock.
Smith is almost a year and a half removed from his infamous 2022 Oscars slam of Chris Rock. The two were seen at the ceremony in LA on March 27, 2022
Smith made international headlines with his outburst towards the comedian during the event at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California
The Oscar exchange between Smith and Rock took place after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head
Smith subsequently apologized several times for the incident and resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, before receiving a ten-year ban from the Oscars.
Smith apologized to the Academy and other nominees in his acceptance speech, but made no reference to Rock
Smith was feted at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party after the show
Smith subsequently apologized several times for the incident and resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, before receiving a ten-year ban from the Oscars.
In an apology he issued about the incident in an online clip in July 2022, Smith said his wife had “nothing to do with” his attack on Rock.
“I made my own choice based on my own experiences, on my history with Chris,” he said. “I want to say sorry to my children and my family for the heat I caused all of us.”
He added: ‘I contacted Chris and the message that came back is that he is not ready to talk and if he is he will get in touch. So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable, and I’ll be here when you’re ready to talk.”