The night of the Oscars in 2022 is usually remembered for one surprising incident — the slap heard around the world. When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage that night, host Wanda Sykes also seemed to have faced repercussions. Now, in a recent interview, she gave an update about whether or not Will Smith apologized to her.
Wanda Sykes on if Will Smith apologized to her about Chris Rock slap controversy
The 2022 Oscars saw Wanda Sykes, Regina Hall, and Amy Schumer as hosts. In a recent interview with Variety, Sykes responded with a candid, “I forgot about that,” when reminded that hosting the Oscars is often considered a career highlight for a comedian. She also continued to address how the slap overshadowed her work.
When asked if she still celebrates that night as an achievement, Sykes replied, “I mean, I loved working with Regina and Amy. But like you said, it got overshadowed.” She also mentions how people speak to her about that night without even addressing that she hosted the Oscars on the same night. “Like I was in the audience or at home, watching TV. But I was there,” she added.
Further, she gave an update about Will Smith reaching out to her to apologize. When asked how she once said he hadn’t apologized to her after his public statement, Sykes explained, “He did. He called. I had COVID or a bad cold. I just texted to say, ‘Hey, I got your message. Thank you. I can’t talk.’ But he did call.”
On the night of the 2022 Oscars, Will Smith got up from his seat and slapped Chris Rock onstage. This reaction from Smith came after Chris Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s appearance. Smith even went on to win Best Actor that night for his role as Richard Williams in King Williams. However, after the event, he publicly apologized to Rock and resigned from the Academy. He has been banned from attending the Oscars and all other Academy events for 10 years.
Originally reported by Elton Fernandes for ComingSoon.
