Days later, Amy Schumer says she’s still reeling from co-hosting what will go down as one of the most intense Oscar nights in history.
The comedian, who emceed the 2022 Academy Awards alongside Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes, on Wednesday addressed the moment Will Smith got out of his seat and slapped Chris Rock on live television.
To recap: Before presenting the award for documentary feature to Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s “Summer of Soul,” Rock made a quip about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair that did not go over well with her husband, who unexpectedly walked onto the stage and smacked the comic in the face.
“I think we can all agree that the best way to unpack what happened is to stream my series [‘Life & Beth’] and see me on tour this fall,” Schumer joked on Instagram while making a shameless plug for her new Hulu comedy.
“But for real. Still triggered and traumatized. I love my friend @chrisrock and believe he handled it like a pro. Stayed up there and gave an Oscar to his friend @questlove and the whole thing was so disturbing. So much pain in @willsmith anyway I’m still in shock and stunned and sad. Im proud of myself and my cohosts. But yeah. Waiting for this sickening feeling to go away from what we all witnessed.”
Schumer is the latest of several celebrities to comment on the shocking incident. Among the entertainment figures who have sympathized with Smith, Rock, both or neither are Jim Carrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Nicki Minaj, Jameela Jamil and Zoe Kravitz.
In a statement to People on Monday, Oscars co-host Sykes, who like Schumer and Rock is a stand-up comic, said: “Violence is never the answer.”
Smith — who won an Oscar later that evening for his leading performance in “King Richard” — has since apologized to Rock for his “unacceptable and inexcusable” behavior, admitting he was “out of line” and in the wrong.
Shortly after the infamous slap occurred, Schumer returned and attempted to lighten the mood with some dry humor.
“Did I miss anything?” she said, drawing scattered laughs from audience members, including Smith. “There’s like a different vibe in here.”
Earlier this week, Schumer set the record straight about another divisive Oscars moment involving Kirsten Dunst, who was nominated Sunday for her supporting performance in “The Power of the Dog.”
During the show, Schumer jokingly mistook Dunst for a “seat filler” and asked the actor to leave so she could chat with her husband, Jesse Plemons — also nominated for his supporting performance in “The Power of the Dog.” As part of the staged interaction, Plemons quickly corrected Schumer and explained his relationship to Dunst.
“You’re married to that seat filler?” Schumer replied. “That’s weird.”
In response to critics who found the gag disrespectful to Dunst, Schumer wrote on Instagram, “I appreciate the love for Kirsten Dunst. I love her too! That was a choreographed bit she was in on. Wouldn’t disrespect that queen like that.”
———
