Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorOscars ceremony co-host Wanda Sykes has spoken out about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock on the Academy Awards stage on Sunday night, saying she felt “physically ill” after watching the video.Sykes, who made her debut hosting this year alongside Amy Schumer and Regina Hall, opened up about the startling events of the evening during an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that will air April 7.“For something to happen like that, it takes away from so many things.
It took away from Questlove’s win,” says DeGeneres in a preview clip from Wednesday’s show.Sykes said she was returning from her trailer to the auditorium while the slap was happening, and when she got inside, she asked, “What is happening?” before watching the video replay. “I just felt so awful for my friend, Chris.
It was sickening. I physically felt ill. I’m still a little traumatized by it.”“No one has apologized to us,” she continued, despite Smith’s apology to Rock..@iamWandaSykes was here today and shared some thoughts about #Oscar night.
pic.twitter.com/i5tj8sYbIB— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) March 30, 2022Smith stunned the audience inside the Dolby Theatre and television viewers at home when he marched onto the stage and slapped Rock for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head (the actress has spoken publicly about her alopecia diagnosis).
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