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Wanda Sykes is calling on the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to do better following the Will Smith scandal at this year’s awards.
The comedian stopped by The Ellen DeGeneres Show this week, which comes following her hosting gig at the 2022 Oscars along with Regina Hall and Amy Schumer. During her interview, Sykes described the behind-the-scenes reaction to the Best Actor winner walking onstage and slapping presenter Chris Rock after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair.
While Smith has already apologized for the outburst, fans and fellow celebs have been talking about the news nonstop all week.
“I think we had finished the bit and I guess I was about to change to get into PJs,” Wanda told Ellen DeGeneres during her appearance, which is set to air next month. “Regina and I, we had just introduced Chris from our bit, so I ran to my trailer because I wanted to watch him.”
She continued, “I was getting changed and watching him. Then the moment I went from my trailer — because I wanted to be in the house to watch — from that moment to when I got to the monitor backstage, I just saw Will leaving the stage and everything was quiet. I was like, ‘What happened? What happened?’ And everybody was like, ‘Oh my god.’ And then Will just starts cursing from his seat. And I was just like, ‘Is this really happening?‘”
“And then someone showed me on the video and said, ‘Yeah, he smacked Chris.’ And I just felt so awful for my friend Chris. It was sickening,” the comedian explained. “I physically felt ill. I’m still a little traumatized by it. And for them to let him stay in that room and enjoy the rest of the show and accept his award, I was like, ‘How gross is this? This is just the wrong message.’ You assault somebody, you get escorted out of the building and that’s it. For them to let him continue, I thought it was gross.”
She went on to joke, “I wanted to be able to run out after he won and say, ‘Unfortunately Will couldn’t be here tonight.’”
Now, even though the Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air alum apologized to Chris Rock, Sykes is waiting on an apology of her own.
“I know he apologized to Chris but I believe…We were the hosts. This is our house, we’re inviting you in, we’re going to take care of y’all tonight and make sure you have a good time,” Wanda said. “And no one has apologized to us. And we worked really hard to put that show together. I’m like, with the industry itself, like, ‘What the hell is this?’”
Chris Rock still hasn’t commented on the situation.