Jimmy Kimmel Takes a Rough Dig at the Academy for Doing Nothing About Will Smith’s Slap

Jimmy Kimmel took the stage at the 95th Academy Awards to host the show and couldn’t help but reference last year’s most controversial incident.

The comedian has lambasted Will Smith for punching Chris Rock onstage last year and members of the Academy for doing “absolutely nothing” about it.

“If a person in this theater commits an act of violence, you will be awarded best actor and allowed to give a 19-minute speech,” he said during his monologue.

Shading the Academy members, he added, “If anything unpredictable or violent happens at this year’s show, just do what you did last year – nothing.”

“Sit there and do absolutely nothing. Maybe even give the abuser a hug,” Kimmel apparently toasted Denzel Washington and Bradley Cooper, who consoled Smith after hitting Rock last year.

For the uninitiated, Smith slapped Rock on stage as he hosted the 2022 Oscars for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s baldness.

He went on to win Best Actor for his performance in King Richard and gave a long speech in tears.