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Amid significant backlash against first-time Oscar winner Will Smith, Tiffany Haddish comes to his fierce defense. While many called his conduct violent, the comedian called it "the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen."
During Sunday night's Oscar Academy Award ceremony, celebrating its 94th annual showing, Smith went viral in seconds after slapping comedian Chris Rock on live television.
The assault happened while Rock was presenting the award for the category of best documentary. He compared Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, to G.I. Jane, poking fun at her shaved head. Not taking the insult to his wife lightly, Smith walked up on stage and smacked the comedian across the face.
He then sat down in his seat and screamed at Rock:
"Keep me wife's name out your f**king mouth!!"
The altercation resulted in memes galore, but also a national conversation about the appropriateness of Smith's violence. In stark contrast to the criticism, Haddish – friend of the Smith family – gave her unwavering support.
At the Governor's Ball afterparty, Haddish said the following to People magazine:
“When I saw a Black man stand up for his wife, that meant so much to me.”
“As a woman, who has been unprotected, for someone to say, ‘Keep my wife’s name out your mouth, leave my wife alone,’ that’s what your husband is supposed to do, right? Protect you.”
“Maybe the world might not like how it went down, but for me, it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen because it made me believe that there are still men out there that love and care about their women, their wives."
Since the event there has been a clear divide in who was wrong: the actor or the comedian. Many others shared Haddish's viewpoint, arguing that Smith did the right thing.
@TiffanyHaddish said it best, to all that don\u2019t agree with Will Smith\u2019s action. A man simply standing up for his wife. What you doing for you family? Who do you protect? It\u2019s a shame that protecting one family has become so foreign to people.pic.twitter.com/jFQTH0xhx9— Pats Hungry (@Pats Hungry) 1648504209
Others agree, see below:
where someone's life is on display and they are humiliated. I think any man who would let another man insult his wife is not a man at all. Tiffany Haddish and a lot of other women agree. F Chris Rock, he has no class.— nameless new yorker (@nameless new yorker) 1648520948
Another person said:
Amen @TiffanyHaddish ! Everyone wants to chastize #WillSmith but what about @chrisrock?? This isn't the first time he's poked fun @jadapsmith. Where is his apology to her?https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1508445141664739331\u00a0\u2026— Tonya Marshall (@Tonya Marshall) 1648563574
I agree with Miss Haddishhttps://youtu.be/PFmcuebR2qE— Pamela Mack (@Pamela Mack) 1648570917
Others, of course, disagreed.
No, Tiffany Haddish, Will Smith assaulting Chris Rock was not beautiful\n\nHe could've had a civilized conversation with Chris privately like a grown adult\n\nSo, no, it wasn't beautiful, it was ugly AF— \ud835\ude76\ud835\ude8e\ud835\ude96\u2122\ud83d\udc8e #\u02e2\u1d43\u02b8\u1d4d\u1d43\u02b8 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@\ud835\ude76\ud835\ude8e\ud835\ude96\u2122\ud83d\udc8e #\u02e2\u1d43\u02b8\u1d4d\u1d43\u02b8 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1648484238
So, let me get this straight\u2026 to show you care about someone, you have to hit another person? You can defend and protect someone without physical violence. This is so out of touch.https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tiffany-haddish-defense-will-smith_n_6241704ae4b0e340f6a5fedd?d_id=3317816&ref=bffbhuffpost&ncid_tag=fcbklnkushpmg00000063&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=us_main&fbclid=IwAR1ZFHIZMdSiJYcuRiMo-42FuRzndyzGhXuJClsfYc4gDYGCdHh3g_1kuZ4\u00a0\u2026— Adam Clemons (@Adam Clemons) 1648480757
@TiffanyHaddish there are plenty more other ways to defend your wife. Did those who think that was right ever stop to think that Chris Rock had no clue about Jada\u2019s alopecia? Not everyone listens to Will or Jada or care what they have to say. Think about that!— Debbie Borrelli (@Debbie Borrelli) 1648470607
The following user argued that Haddish's support for Will Smith, being a comedian herself:
@TiffanyHaddish you are dead wrong in your support of Will Smith's abhorrent actions. You better than anyone should know how dangerous it it for stand-up comedians to face the prospect of violence from someone taking issue with a joke. Time to walk back your remarks, Tiffany!— Canadian for Democracy (@Canadian for Democracy) 1648552319
Jada Smith went public about her struggles with alopecia and has since went bald because of its effects. After Rock's joke at the Oscars, Jada was visibly upset, rolling her eyes in frustration.
Many agree the joke was a low blow but feel Will Smith should have handled the situation very differently.