Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars has unequivocally become the story of the year. The actor's atrocious display of violence has left a stain on what should've otherwise been a momentous and joyous occasion.
In the weeks that followed, countless celebrities have begun weighing in with their own opinions on the events that transpired. Now, actor/comedian Ricky Gervais is making his thoughts on the matter known.
On Friday, April 8th, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences handed down their punishment to Will Smith — banning the actor from attending the Oscars for at least the next 10 years.
Chris told a joke comparing Jada's shaved head to that of Demi Moore's in G.I. Jane.
He slapped Chris in the mouth. Since then, countless celebrities have been weighing in with their two cents on what transpired at the show.
"Hopefully, he'll only do 6 years with good behaviour," Ricky tweeted out to his legion of loyal followers.
"You don't hit someone over a joke, however bad it is, and it wasn't bad! That was, like, the tamest joke I would've ever told," Ricky explained via The Daily Mail.
Ricky goes on to say "So that means I can park right up next to Tesco's now. And I'm fat, so that's a disease, isn't it?"
"I trended on Twitter. I trended — I wasn't even there! Nothing to do with me."
"'Cause people are saying 'What would Ricky Gervais have said; what would've happened to Ricky Gervais?'"
Ricky is of course making reference to Jada's "entanglement" with rapper August Alsina, wherein she wound up cheating on Will.
"During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry," the statement began.
"This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith’s behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests and restoring trust in the Academy."
In light of the Academy's decision, Will Smith released a short statement of his own via Deadline Hollywood.
He apologized for his actions and promised to never allow violence to sway him ever again.
Suffice it to say that a 10-year ban would be deemed highly insufficient.
The question is: do we ban Will Smith for life?
