Serena Williams reacted with shock after watching Will Smith slap Chris Rock at this year’s Oscars shortly before he was named best actor for playing her father in biopic King Richard.
The tennis ace, 40, took to Instagram Stories to share her disbelief at the altercation which happened after comedian Rock made an insensitive joke about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who suffers with the autoimmune disease alopecia.
After striking Rock, he could then be heard telling him to “keep my wife’s name out your f**king mouth.”
Williams appeared open-mouthed and wide-eyed in the first clip.
A follow-up saw the mother-of-one still trying to process what had happened, as she told the camera: “I just sat down ‘cus I was like I gotta put that drink down.”
She later awkwardly found herself standing right next to Rock himself.
Rock had his back to the camera in the encounter, which she shared with her 14.4m followers.
Williams jokingly pulled a face, laughed and then walked away.
Organisers of the Oscars have issued a statement on the incident via social media saying they do “not condone violence of any forms”.
Los Angeles Police Department advised that Rock has so far declined to press any charges.
A statement obtained by Variety read: “LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program. The incident involved one individual slapping another.
“The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.”
