Eagle-eyed Oscar viewers insist moment Will Smith slapped Chris Rock was FAKE

Eagle-eyed Oscars fans are convinced that the moment Will Smith slapped Chris Rock for a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith was staged. 

The actor, 53, shocked viewers when he stormed on stage and smacked the comedian, 57, after he jokingly said Jada’s shaved haircut made her look like G.I. Jane. 

But having watched slowed down footage of the heated moment, some social media users are insisting the slap was fake.

Claims: Eagle-eyed Oscars fans are convinced that the moment Will Smith slapped Chris Rock for a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith was staged

One user thought the fact Chris appeared to recoil before the hit suggested it could be fake, writing: ‘Chris Rock grimacing for what he knows is coming. His hand barely grazed him.

‘Actors, especially action actors like Will Smith, know how to pull a punch (or slap) This was staged.’

Another said: ‘Will Smith and Chris Rock pulled off the work of the decade.. imagine believing this was real #FakeSlap’. 

Another user said: ‘The whole Will Smith thing looked a bit staged to me • Chris Rock [leaning] in waiting for the slap • Will Smiths smirk on his way back to his seat after the “slap” • The slap itself didn’t even look like it really landed’.

Shock: The actor, 53, shocked viewers when he stormed on stage and smacked the comedian, 57, after he jokingly said Jada's shaved haircut made her look like G.I. Jane

Shock: The actor, 53, shocked viewers when he stormed on stage and smacked the comedian, 57, after he jokingly said Jada’s shaved haircut made her look like G.I. Jane

One viewer added: #Think the slap was real but still staged/planned. Chris Rock basically had no reaction & Immediately said this is the greatest Oscar moment’.    

Another wrote: ‘The Oscars fiasco between Will Smith and Chris Rock was staged in order to get rating for next year but still no one watched this year and no one will watch next year either’. 

Meanwhile, Will joked about slapping Chris as he partied with his family at the Vanity Fair Oscars bash on Sunday night.

Reaction: But having watched slowed down footage of the heated moment, some social media users are insisting the slap was fake

Reaction: But having watched slowed down footage of the heated moment, some social media users are insisting the slap was fake

Shortly after he shocked the 94th Academy Awards by storming the stage, Will added a comment to his own Instagram post, quipping: ‘You can’t invite people from Philly or Baltimore nowhere.’  

Before the ceremony began, Will had shared a montage to Instagram of him and  Jada getting ready for the ceremony, captioned: ‘Me ‘n @jadapinkettsmith got all dressed up to choose chaos.’

He added the new comment three hours later, just after slapping Chris, referring to his own birthplace of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and his wife’s of Baltimore, Maryland. 

Smiling: Will had the full support of his family as he celebrated his Oscar win on Sunday night, hours after the slap

Smiling: Will had the full support of his family as he celebrated his Oscar win on Sunday night, hours after the slap

After the slap: Shortly after the slap, Will added a comment to his own Instagram post, quipping: 'You can't invite people from Philly or Baltimore nowhere'

After the slap: Shortly after the slap, Will added a comment to his own Instagram post, quipping: ‘You can’t invite people from Philly or Baltimore nowhere’ 

The actor was joined by his wife Jada, their children Jaden, 23, and Willow, 21, and his son Trey, 30, at the Vanity Fair party held at the Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.

The actor was greeted by a crowd of cheering stars while wife Jada was by his side hours after the incident.

Chris, a veteran stand-up who has previously made jokes about Will and his wife, upset Will when he compared his wife’s hair to that of G. I. Jane’s, who has a shaved head. Jada suffers from hair loss condition alopecia. 

Chaos: Before the ceremony began, Will had shared a montage to Instagram of him and Jada getting ready for the ceremony

Chaos: Before the ceremony began, Will had shared a montage to Instagram of him and Jada getting ready for the ceremony

Getting ready: He captioned the post: 'Me ¿n @jadapinkettsmith got all dressed up to choose chaos', later adding the quip about their birthplaces

Getting ready: He captioned the post: ‘Me ‘n @jadapinkettsmith got all dressed up to choose chaos’, later adding the quip about their birthplaces

After his tearful acceptance speech for Best Actor, Will celebrated his win at the star-studded Vanity Fair party, where he and Jada were seen working the room, receiving hugs from stars such as Lupita Nyong-o, who was sat behind the couple during the ceremony. 

The actor posed for selfies, danced with friends and rapped along to his biggest hits including Summertime and Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It which a beaming Jada cheered him on.

Jaden and Willow joined their parents at the afterparty. 

Rapper Jaden had earlier taken to Twitter to defend his father, tweeting ‘And that’s how we do it!’ in a since-deleted post, before adding in another post: ‘My Dads Speech Made Me Cry.’

Jaden’s tweet has been retweeted more than 42,000 times and was met with mixed response from social media users.

Family: The actor was joined by his wife Jada and their children Jaden, 23, and Willow, 21, and his son Trey, 30, at the Vanity Fair party at the Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills

Family: The actor was joined by his wife Jada and their children Jaden, 23, and Willow, 21, and his son Trey, 30, at the Vanity Fair party at the Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills

Man of the moment: The actor was greeted by a crowd of cheering stars while wife Jada was by his side after he slapped Rock for making a joke about Jada's hair loss

Man of the moment: The actor was greeted by a crowd of cheering stars while wife Jada was by his side after he slapped Rock for making a joke about Jada’s hair loss

Popular: Will was pictured in the middle of the crowd, dancing and cheering with fellow stars

Popular: Will was pictured in the middle of the crowd, dancing and cheering with fellow stars

By his side: Jada kept close to Will, who was pictured talking to actress Lupita Nyong'o

By his side: Jada kept close to Will, who was pictured talking to actress Lupita Nyong’o

Close: Will had a warm hug for Lupita who had earlier been pictured looking shocked after his ceremony slap

Close: Will had a warm hug for Lupita who had earlier been pictured looking shocked after his ceremony slap 

Cheerleader: Jada could be seen smiling and clapping for her husband as they made their way inside the party to huge applause

Cheerleader: Jada could be seen smiling and clapping for her husband as they made their way inside the party to huge applause

We are family: Will and Jada's son Jaden took to Twitter earlier in the evening to defend his dad

We are family: Will and Jada’s son Jaden took to Twitter earlier in the evening to defend his dad

Some alleged the Summertime in Paris singer was a hypocrite because earlier this month he tweeted: ‘Praying For Peace In The World.’

Others outright criticized Jaden for his remarks. ‘No it’s not how you do it,’ commented hip-hop artist Ruslan. 

While Willow has not addressed the incident, she did, however, post a series of photos to her Instagram page modeling a black-and-red jeweled outfit, acting as if nothing happened. 

Sticking with you: Will couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he cosied up to Jada and his Oscar at the Vanity Fair bash

Sticking with you: Will couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he cosied up to Jada and his Oscar at the Vanity Fair bash

Star couple: Jada and Will posed for photos with Will's Oscar at the entrance to the party

Star couple: Jada and Will posed for photos with Will’s Oscar at the entrance to the party

Winner: The focus was on Will's big win as the night drew on and not the shocking slap

Winner: The focus was on Will’s big win as the night drew on and not the shocking slap

Celeb support: Will and Jada also posed for photo with chat show host Trevor Noah

Celeb support: Will and Jada also posed for photo with chat show host Trevor Noah

Social media users hit back at the Whip My Hair hitmaker, leaving comments such as ‘How’s daddy doin’ and ‘Did you See What Your Dad Did.’

Others seemingly applauded Will’s actions, leaving positive comments about the actor on his daughter’s post.

‘You have the coolest dad,’ wrote @allan_mcallister. 

Will used his acceptance speech for his first Academy Award to defend storming onto the Oscars stage and slapping presenter Chris.

Love: Willow shared a snap of herself holding Will's Academy Award and cosying up to her dad

Love: Willow shared a snap of herself holding Will’s Academy Award and cosying up to her dad 

Sweet: Willow also posted a photo of Jada and Jaden sharing a hug backstage

Sweet: Willow also posted a photo of Jada and Jaden sharing a hug backstage

Rapper Jaden Smith apparently applauded his father after the actor slapped comedian Chris Rock in the face during the Academy Awards

Public support: Rapper Jaden Smith apparently applauded his fathe after the actor slapped comedian Chris Rock in the face during the Academy Awards

Keeping quiet: Unlike her brother, Willow Smith, 21, has not publicly commented on her father's outburst

Keeping quiet: Unlike her brother, Willow Smith, 21, has not publicly commented on her father’s outburst

Smith on Sunday won Best Actor for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the determined father who raised tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams, in ‘King Richard.’

But the win was completely overshadowed by the assault, which occurred about 40 minutes before his award was unsealed.

Smith was still allowed to make his acceptance speech and, with tears streaming down his face, he appeared to defend hitting Rock because he said he wanted to protect his family.

Party spirit: Willow was on great form, joking around with Chloe Bailey and her brother at the party

Party spirit: Willow was on great form, joking around with Chloe Bailey and her brother at the party

Jaden was pictured with film executive Franklin Leonard and actor and producer Lena Waithe

Jaden was pictured with film executive Franklin Leonard and actor and producer Lena Waithe

Hugs all round: Jaden was greeted warmly by Lena at the star-studded party

Hugs all round: Jaden was greeted warmly by Lena at the star-studded party

Rock, a veteran stand-up, upset Smith when he compared his wife’s hair to that of G. I. Jane’s, who has a shaved head. Pinkett Smith suffers from hair loss condition alopecia.

‘Love makes you do crazy things’, the rapper and actor admitted as he accepted his Best Actor Oscar statuette. 

He added that being a Hollywood star means you should be able to ‘have people disrespecting you and that ‘you just gotta smile and pretend it’s ok,’ he said.

But he added that he admired Richard Williams who ‘was a fierce defender of his family.’

Whack: Chris Rock (left) is slapped by Will after making a joke about Jada's hair loss during the Oscars

Whack: Chris Rock (left) is slapped by Will after making a joke about Jada’s hair loss during the Oscars

Show of unity: Will and Jada held hands throughout the ceremony after the shock slap

Show of unity: Will and Jada held hands throughout the ceremony after the shock slap

‘I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people,’ he explained.

Smith went on to issue a tearful partial apology for his emotional outburst, but did not apologize to Rock. ‘I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment,’ he said.

‘Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father,’ said Smith.

OSCARS 2022: WINNERS

 BEST PICTURE 

Belfast (Focus Features)

Coda (Apple) – WINNER

Don’t Look Up (Netflix)

Drive My Car (Janus Films/Sideshow)

Dune (Warner Bros)

King Richard (Warner Bros)

Licorice Pizza (MGM/United Artists Releasing)

Nightmare Alley (Searchlight Pictures)

The Power Of The Dog (Netflix)

West Side Story  (20th Century Studios)

History: Coda became the first ever streaming film to win Best Picture as it upset The Power Of The Dog

History: Coda became the first ever streaming film to win Best Picture as it upset The Power Of The Dog

 

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE 

Jessie Buckley – The Lost Daughter 

Ariana DeBose – West Side Story – WINNER

Judi Dench – Belfast 

Kirsten Dunst- The Power Of The Dog

Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard 

  

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE 

Ciaran Hinds – Belfast 

Troy Kotsur – Coda – WINNER

Jesse Plemons – The Power Of The Dog

J.K Simmons – Being The Ricardos 

Kodi Smitt-McPhee – The Power Of The Dog

Amazing: Troy Kotsur became the first male actor to win an Oscar for Coda

Amazing: Troy Kotsur became the first male actor to win an Oscar for Coda

 

COSTUME DESIGN 

Cruella (Jenny Beavan) – WINNER

Cyrano (Massimo Cantini Parrini)

Dune (Jacqueline West)

Nightmare Alley (Luis Sequeira)

West Side Story (Paul Tazewell) 

 

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND 

Belfast 

Dune – WINNER

No Time To Die 

The Power Of The Dog 

West Side Story 

 

ORIGINAL SCORE

Don’t Look Up (Nicholas Britell)

Dune (Hans Zimmer) – WINNER

Encanto (Germaine Franco)

Parallel Mothers (Alberto Iglesias)

The Power of the Dog (Jonny Greenwood)

 

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

 CODA (Sian Heder) – WINNER

Drive My Car (Ryusuke Hamaguchi & Takamasa Oe)

Dune (Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts & Denis Villeneuve)

The Lost Daughter (Maggie Gyllenhaal)

The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion)

Shining moment: Sian Heder earned Best Adapted screenplay for the film as it went three for three on the night

Shining moment: Sian Heder earned Best Adapted screenplay for the film as it went three for three on the night

 

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

 Belfast (Kenneth Branagh) – WINNER

Don’t Look Up (Adam McKay & David Sirota)

Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson)

King Richard (Zach Baylin)

The Worst Person in the World (Joachim Trier & Eskil Vogt)

 

 

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Affairs Of The Heart 

Bestia 

Box Ballet 

Robin Robin 

The Windshield Wiper – WINNER

 

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM 

Ala Kachuu — Take and Run

The Dress

The Long Goodbye – WINNER

On My Mind

Please Hold

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM 

Drive My Car – WINNER

Flee

The Hand of God

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

The Worst Person in the World

 

PRODUCTION DESIGN

 Dune (Zsuzsanna Sipos & Patrice Vermette) – WINNER

Nightmare Alley (Tamara Deverell & Shane Vieau)

The Power of the Dog (Grant Major & Amber Richards)

The Tragedy of Macbeth (Stefan Dechant & Nancy Haigh)

West Side Story (Rena DeAngelo & Adam Stockhausen)

 ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE 

Javier Bardem – Being the Ricardos

Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog

Andrew Garfield – tick, tick… BOOM!

Will Smith – King Richard – WINNER

Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth

 

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye – WINNER

Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter

Penélope Cruz – Parallel Mothers

Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardos

Kristen Stewart – Spencer

All eyes on her: Jessica Chastain finally won her first Best Actress trophy for her titular role in The Eyes Of Tammy Faye

All eyes on her: Jessica Chastain finally won her first Best Actress trophy for her titular role in The Eyes Of Tammy Faye

 

DIRECTING 

Kenneth Branagh – Belfast

Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza

Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog – WINNER

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi – Drive My Car

Steven Spielberg – West Side Story  

 

FILM EDITING 

Don’t Look Up (Hank Corwin)

Dune (Joe Walker) – WINNER

King Richard (Pamela Martin)

The Power of the Dog (Peter Sciberras)

Tick, Tick… Boom! (Myron Kerstein & Andrew Weisblum)

 

 

MAKEUP AND HAIR STYLING

Coming 2 America 

Cruella 

Dune 

The Eyes Of Tammy Faye – WINNER

House Of Gucci

 

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM 

Encanto – WINNER

Flee 

Luca 

The Mitchells VS The Machine 

Raya And The Lost Dragon 

 

ORIGINAL SONG

Be Alive — Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Darius Scott (King Richard)

Dos Oruguitas — Lin-Manuel Miranda (Encanto)

Down to Joy — Van Morrison (Belfast)

No Time to Die — Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell (No Time to Die) – WINNER

Somehow You Do— Diane Warren (Four Good Days)

Not a bad guy: Billie Eilish and brother FINNEAS earned Best Original Song for No Time To Die from the James Bond film of the same name

Not a bad guy: Billie Eilish and brother FINNEAS earned Best Original Song for No Time To Die from the James Bond film of the same name 

  

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

Audible

Lead Me Home

The Queen of Basketball – WINNER

Three Songs for Benazir

When We Were Bullies

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Ascension

Attica

Flee

Summer of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) – WINNER

Writing with Fire

 

VISUAL EFFECTS 

Dune – WINNER

Free Guy 

No Time To Die 

 Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings

Spider-Man: No Way Home 

Epic: Dune swept the technical awards as Greig Fraser is shown accepting the Best Cinematography gong

Epic: Dune swept the technical awards as Greig Fraser is shown accepting the Best Cinematography gong

 

CINEMATOGRAPHY 

 Dune (Greig Fraser) – WINNER

Nightmare Alley (Dan Lausten)

The Power of the Dog (Ari Wegner)

The Tragedy of Macbeth (Bruno Delbonnel)

West Side Story (Janusz Kaminski)

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk