The 2022 Academy Awards will forever be remembered for one moment that no one saw coming: Will Smith walking onstage and slapping Chris Rock after a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.
Dubbed the “slap heard ’round the world,” the incident overshadowed what was supposed to be a career highlight for the night’s three hosts — Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes.
Now, Sykes is shedding new light on what happened after the fact.
In a new profile with Variety, Sykes revealed that Smith tried to reach out to her directly after the altercation. “He called. I had COVID or a bad cold,” the comedian explained. “I just texted to say, ‘Hey, I got your message. Thank you. I can’t talk.’ But he did call.”
That acknowledgment is significant because in the weeks following the Oscars, Sykes was vocal about feeling that no one had checked in on the hosts.
During an appearance on The Ellen Show in March 2022, she said, “No one has apologized to [the hosts], and we worked really hard to put that show together.”
Sykes, now 61, admitted that, looking back, her memories of hosting the show are still overshadowed. “I mean, I loved working with Regina and Amy,” she told Variety. “But like you said, it got overshadowed. People talk to me about that night without even mentioning, ‘Oh yeah, you hosted, right?’ Like I was in the audience or at home, watching TV. But I was there.”
While Smith has issued several public apologies, including to Rock, Sykes noted that Rock himself reached out to her that night at the Oscars afterparty. “He was like, ‘It was supposed to be your night," Sykes continued. "You and Amy and Regina were doing such a great job. I’m so sorry this is now gonna be about this.’ Because that’s who Chris is.”
Smith, who resigned from the Academy following the incident, was banned from all Academy events for 10 years. He has since admitted his behavior was “unacceptable and inexcusable,” writing on Instagram that he remains “a work in progress.”