Film  

Why Will Smith Struck Chris Rock

By Oreoritse Tariemi

28 March 2022   |   8:31 am

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The 2022 Oscars awards came with its highlights. And not just Beyoncé performing on an award stage for the first time in 5 years. One major highlight making rounds is the moment when actor Will Smith struck comedian Chris Rock for making a G.I. Jane joke directed at Jada Smith (his wife). So what's the…

US actor Will Smith (R) slaps US actor Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 27, 2022. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)

The 2022 Oscars awards came with its highlights.

And not just Beyoncé performing on an award stage for the first time in 5 years.

One major highlight making rounds is the moment when actor Will Smith struck comedian Chris Rock for making a G.I. Jane joke directed at Jada Smith (his wife).

So what’s the tea on the G.I. Jane joke that earned Chris Rock a snack across his face?

Well, G.I. Jane is the name of a 1997 film played by Demi Moore.

In the Ridley Scott Directed movie, Jordan O’Neil, a female Naval officer, makes it through Navy SEAL training and has to break into the traditionally all-male occupation.

To blend in, O’Neil adopts a rugged male personality, including shaving her head.

So, when Chris Rock said, “Jada can’t wait for G.I. 2,” he referenced her playing the lead role due to her shaved head.”

However, his joke was distasteful as Jada’s decision to cut her hair wasn’t fashionable but medically required.

Jada has always been open about experiencing hair loss due to the autoimmune disorder alopecia that impacts the hair follicles, resulting in both bald spots and hair loss.

Last year, the actress made the decision to cut her hair after it became harder to keep hiding it with the turbans she rocked for the last few years.

“Now, at this point, I can only laugh,” she said in an Instagram video in December 2021 as she ran her finger across a bald line patch on her scalp. “Y’all know I’ve been struggling with alopecia, and just all of a sudden one day, look at this line right here. Look at that.”

She continued, “So it just showed up like that, and this is going to be a little bit more difficult for me to hide. So I thought I’d just share it, so y’all are not asking any questions.”