Comedian Chris Rock has reportedly declined to file a police report after being slapped in the face by Will Smith at the Oscars on Sunday.
Rock, 57, has refused to file a police report, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
‘LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program,’ the LAPD said in a press release after the show ended Sunday.
‘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.’
Smith, 53, could still face a misdemeanor charge for battery should Rock have a change of heart.
The slapping incident occurred after Rock cracked a joke about the ‘GI Jane’ haircut of Jada Pinkett Smith, 50, who has alopecia. The shocking scene, broadcast live around the world, stunned both the live audience at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and TV viewers.
Smith later showed up on stage and slapped Rock with an open right hand, Rock staggered and exclaimed, ‘Wow, Will Smith just smacked the s**t out of me.’
Smith then walked back to his seat and shouted: ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth.’
Referring to Pinkett Smith’s buzzcut, Rock said: ‘Jada, can’t wait for GI Jane 2’, prompting the actress to roll her eyes. Pinkett Smith has been battling hair loss since revealing her alopecia diagnosis in 2018.
After being slapped, Rock appeared shocked and still went on to present the best documentary feature category.
‘That was the greatest night in the history of television,’ Rock said, before awkwardly reading the Oscar nominees, an award that went to Questlove’s ‘Summer of Soul (…or When the Revolution Was Not Televised).’