Regardless of his spat with Chris Rock, Will Smith is now an Academy Award winner, and that’s something worth celebrating. After taking home the award for his performance in King Richard, the “Fresh Prince” actor attended the Vanity Fair after-party to blow off some steam alongside his peers, friends and of course, his family. He danced and rapped to his 1997 singles “Gettin’ Jiggy with It” and “Miami,” per a viral video, all while holding his shiny Oscar in hand.
Smith was rewarded the trophy moments after he slapped Rock for making fun of Jada Pinkett-Smith‘s haircut. In his acceptance speech, he discussed his experience working on the King Richard film while seemingly explaining his spontaneous reaction. He also issued an apology to the Academy as well as others who were nominated in the Best Actor category.
Smith’s Oscar win marks his first-ever Academy Award victory since he launched his acting career more than 30 years ago. With the honor, he is now the fifth Black man to take home the trophy for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He joins previous winners/acting legends Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx and Forest Whitaker. Unfortunately, he may not be holding his award for long.
As previously reported by REVOLT, Smith violated the Academy’s code of conduct when he hit Rock on live television. “The Academy does not condone violence of any form,” they wrote in a statement. “In addition to achieving excellence in the field of motion picture arts and sciences, members must also behave ethically by upholding the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity, inclusion, and a supportive environment that fosters creativity.”
As a result of his actions, Smith may have to return his first and only Oscar to the Academy, who will convene for a formal review and emergency phone call about the incidents. As for his status with Rock, the actor told Variety journalist Ramin Setoodeh that “it’s all love.”
See a clip from Will Smith’s Oscar celebration below.
This is Will Smith dancing with his Oscar. It's all love baby 👌👌 pic.twitter.com/ALZa29LX2s
— Bestbrain🥇 (@Bestbrainnn) March 28, 2022