Jim Carrey slams Oscars audience for giving Will Smith standing ovation
"I felt like Hollywood is just spineless en masse"
By Joe Goggins
Jim Carrey has launched a stinging attack on the Oscars audience that gave Will Smith a standing ovation on Sunday (March 27).
Those in attendance at the Dolby Theater were on their feet in appreciation for Smith’s victory in the Best Actor category, just minutes after he assaulted comedian Chris Rock onstage for a jibe at Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.
His behaviour drew international condemnation and has prompted a formal investigation from the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences, but Smith was not removed from the ceremony and was instead himself consoled over the incident by Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry during a commercial break. He went on to deliver a highly emotional and at times rambling speech after his long-predicted win for portraying Richard Williams, father of tennis legends Venus and Serena, in ‘King Richard’.
Smith issued an apology to Rock and the event’s organisers on Instagram yesterday (March 28), but speaking on CBS Mornings today (March 29), Hollywood veteran Carrey revealed his disgust at his fellow A-listers. “I was sickened,” Carrey said. “I was sickened by the standing ovation. I felt like Hollywood is just spineless en masse. It really felt like this is a clear indication that we’re not the cool club anymore.”
Asked to comment on Rock’s refusal to press charges against Smith, Carrey went on: “He doesn’t want the hassle. I would have announced this morning that I was suing Will for $200million because that video is going to be there forever. It’s going to be ubiquitous. That insult is going to last a very long time. If you want to yell from the audience in disapproval or say something on Twitter or whatever [that’s fine, but], you do not have the right to walk up on-stage and smack somebody in the face because they said words.”
Carrey concluded by saying: “[The incident] came out of nowhere because Will has something going on inside him that’s frustrated. I wish him the best. I have nothing against Will Smith. He’s done great things, but that was not a good moment. It cast a shadow over everyone’s shining moment last night.”
Meanwhile, Pinkett-Smith broke her silence one Instagram today (March 29), with a post that appeared to make reference to the slap and to her husband’s subsequent apology.