Jim Carrey Blasts Oscars For Giving Will Smith Standing Ovation: 'Hollywood Is Spineless'
Will Smith accepted the award for "Best Actor in a Leading Role" during Sunday's Academy Awards, shortly after the slap heard around the world occurred.
By now, the entire country, perhaps the entire world has seen the clip of Smith delivering an open-hand smack across the face of fellow actor Chris Rock onstage. With Twitter buzzing and the room full of Hollywood's finest stunned, Smith received a standing ovation walking up to accept the award for his role as Richard Williams in King Richard.
This left actor and comedian Jim Carrey "sickened," the Bruce Almighty star told CBS News' Gayle King Tuesday.
“Hollywood is just spineless en masse and it really felt like this is a really clear indication that we aren’t the cool club anymore,” Carrey said, via the New York Post.
Carrey continued, saying he would have sued Smith for $200 million for the act.
“I’d have announced this morning that I was suing Will for $200 million because that video is going to be there forever, it’s going to be ubiquitous," Carrey said. “That insult is gonna last a very long time. If you want to yell from the audience and show disapproval or say something on Twitter you do not have the right to walk up onstage and smack somebody in the face ‘cuz they said words.”
The joke in question was when Rock compared Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, to Demi Moore's bald character "G.I. Jane." Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia and shaved her head last summer.
“Keep my wife’s name out of your f–king mouth!” Smith said twice, after returning to his seat.
Smith has since apologized to Rock, the Academy and the Williams family.
"Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive," Smith wrote, via Instagram. "My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally."
Follow Nick Geddes on Twitter @NickGeddesNews and on Instagram @nick.geddes.