Jim Carrey ‘Sickened’ by Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars

Jim Carrey is the latest star to sound-off about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.

Will and Chris shared a heated exchange on the 2022 Oscars stage over a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair — and to the shock of viewers and audience members, it turned physical when Will slapped Chris. Will went on to win Best Actor for his role in “King Richard” and deliver an emotional acceptance speech.

Carrey sat down with Gayle King on “CBS Mornings,” where she asked what Jim thought as he watched the moment unfold, and about what happened afterward.

Jim told Gayle, “I was sickened by the standing ovation. I felt like Hollywood is just spineless en masse. It really felt like that is really a clear indication that we aren’t the cool club anymore.”

Weighing in on Chris not pressing charges, Jim said, “He doesn’t want the hassle. I would have announced this morning I was suing Will for $200 million, because that video is going to be there forever. It is going to be ubiquitous. That insult is going to last a very long time.”

He said it is one thing “if you want to yell from the audience and disapprove or show a disapproval… or say something on Twitter,” adding, “You do not have the right to walk up onstage and smack somebody in the face because they said words.”

Gayle talked about how the moment escalated, but Carrey disagreed.

“It didn’t escalate. It came out of nowhere because Will has something going on inside him that is frustrated and I wish him the best, I really do — I don’t have anything against Will Smith, he’s done great things, but that was not a good moment,” he said.

Carrey felt Will stole the spotlight from other Oscar winners as well.

“It cast a pall over everybody’s shining moment [Sunday] night, you know, a lot of people worked really hard to get to that place and have their moment in the sun… It is no mean feat to go through all the stuff you have to go through when you are nominated for an Oscar… It was just a selfish moment that cast a pall over the whole thing.”

On Monday, Smith issued a lengthy apology on Instagram, calling his behavior “unacceptable and inexcusable.” He wrote, “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive… Jokes at my expense are part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

“I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world,” Will continued. “I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us. I am a work in progress.”

Chris was presenting Best Documentary when he poked fun at Jada, saying he was looking forward to “G.I. Jane 2.”

Pinkett Smith immediately did not look pleased, and Will walked straight onstage and smacked Chris with his open hand.

As Smith walked back to his seat, a clearly shaken Rock said, “Oh, wow — Will Smith just smacked the s—t out of me.”

Rock insisted, “It was a ‘G.I. Jane’ joke,” and Will twice yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—king mouth.”

Rock told him, “I’m going to.”