(NewsNation) — Moments before Will Smith won best actor for his role in “King Richard,” he slapped comedian Chris Rock after a poor joke about his wife’s hair.
The exchange, seen around the world, has been criticized by fans and stars alike. Carlos Scott, a PR & media crisis expert, joined “Morning in America” to share the implications of Smith’s actions.
“He’s always been a high character, moral value guy so for him to act this way, to me, it’s definitely a cry out that something is deeper than that,” Scott said. “That was Will Smith, the husband, that slapped Chris Rock; defending his wife.”
The incident began when Rock took aim at Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, saying, “Jada, I love you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it, all right?” Rock’s reference came from the 1997 film “G.I. Jane,” starring Demi Moore, who shaved her head to portray a fictional Navy SEAL candidate.
Cameras caught Pinkett Smith visibly upset. Pinkett Smith has been open about her alopecia since 2018.
Smith then slapped Rock for his comments telling him to, “Keep my wife’s name out of your (expletive) mouth.”
“You’ve got to take into account what they’ve gone through over the last year … It was a breaking point,” Scott said. “We don’t know how many nights she’s cried at home dealing with it. I have have an ex-wife who actually dealt with it and that was very emotional for her.”
At this time, Rock has not said if he will press charges against Smith. Scott says Smith should apologize both privately and publicly to Rock because, “No one is about to cancel one of the biggest stars on this planet.”
The Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement that it was aware of the incident.
“The incident involved one individual slapping another,” the statement read. “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.”
Criminal defense attorney Matt Fakhoury said on “Morning in America” that Smith “deliberately formed an intention.”
“This is a textbook battery by definition, which means that somebody willfully committed a violent act against another individual,” he said.
Fakhoury said the police deciding to pursue charges on their own without Rock is unusual given the circumstances. He says a battery offense is punishable by law but it is reserved for more egregious crimes.