Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) argues that an altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars was a “low moment” not just for the award show but “for all of us.”
During an appearance on “The View” Tuesday, the New Jersey senator was asked if he had any thoughts on the incident.
“A lot of us who are in public life know there are going to be cruel jokes. And I’ve never been one to endorse that kind of humor,” Booker began. “I think the best of our comedians, which I’ve seen Chris Rock do, are ones that highlight injustices, call our attention, and engage us in a way with the absurdities sometimes of the injustice of this world.”
He continued, “But nothing, nothing at all justifies violence. And what we saw was violence that night, and it was just very, very disappointing. But again, let’s all extend grace. We’re all mountain ranges. We’ve all made mistakes. And the totality of who Will Smith is, who Chris Rock is was not defined by what I thought was a very unfortunate and low moment for the Oscars and all of us.”
Watch the video below:
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) calls Will Smith and Chris Rock Oscars incident a “very unfortunate and low moment for the Oscars and for all of us.” pic.twitter.com/dwuvfUvCjU
— The Recount (@therecount) March 29, 2022
During the Oscars on Sunday night, Rock made a joke about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, because of her haircut.
“Jada, I love you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it,” Rock said.
As The New York Times notes, Pinkett Smith has alopecia which is a condition that leads to hair loss.
After the joke, Will Smith walked up on stage and smacked Rock.
Upon returning to his seat, he could be heard saying, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!”
On Sunday night, Smith won the award for Best Actor for his role in “King Richard.” And on Monday, he apologized for slapping Rock, as IJR reported.
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. 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,” he said in a post on Instagram.
The actor added, “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line, and I was wrong. I am embarrassed, and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
