Jim Carrey says he would have sued Will Smith for $200 million if he was slapped onstage at the Oscars
CBS, Myung Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
- Jim Carrey says he would've reacted differently if he was slapped by Will Smith at the Oscars.
- Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
- Carrey said he thinks Rock didn't file a report against Smith because "he doesn't want the hassle."
Jim Carrey says he would've taken immediate action if he was slapped by Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars.
"I'd have announced this morning that I was suing Will for $200 million," Carrey told CBS Mornings' Gayle King on Monday. "That video's gonna be there forever. It's gonna be ubiquitous. That insult is gonna last a very long time."
Sunday night, Smith walked onto the Oscars stage and slapped Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head.
Pinkett Smith has previously discussed her struggles with alopecia, a hair loss condition.
When King said that anyone else would've been escorted off stage by security or "maybe even arrested," Carrey said, "He should have been."
"You do not have the right to walk up on stage and smack somebody in the face because they said words," the "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" actor added.
According to a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department, Rock declined to file a police report against Smith following the incident.
Carrey told CBS he believes Rock hasn't pressed charges because "he doesn't want the hassle."
Carrey said that he was bothered by the audience's reaction to the altercation at the 94th Academy Awards.
"I was sickened by the standing ovation," Carrey said. "I felt like Hollywood is just spineless en masse. And it really felt like this is a really clear indication that we're not the cool club anymore."
Celebrities have been divided on Smith's reaction. Tiffany Haddish said that Smith's decision to "stand up" for his wife was "the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
John Leguizamo said the incident "tarnished" Smith's "King Richard" performance, for which he won best actor.
Smith has since issued a public apology on Instagram in which the Oscar winner said he "was out of line" and "embarrassed" by his actions.
On Monday, the Academy said it would launch a formal investigation into Smith slapping Rock.