Talk about a huge elephant in the room. Jimmy Kimmel reckons Will Smith‘s now-infamous Oscars slap has “got to come up in some way” during next year’s ceremony. Here’s what you need to know.
Kimmel, who was recently announced as next year’s show host, said he did not want to “make light” of the incident. Smith stormed the stage during the 94th Academy Awards in March and attacked Chris Rock, after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. He was later banned from Academy events for 10 years over the incident.
The Will Smith Slap Will Most Likely Come Up At The Next Oscars
Speaking to Extra about his hosting duties next year, Kimmel said: “It’s got to come up in some way. You know, I don’t want to really make light of it necessarily, because it wasn’t (funny) to comedians. You know, comedians are mad about it…it’s one of those things that for a group of people that find everything funny, it’s, like, not funny, you know?”
Kimmel has hosted the Oscars twice previously, both in 2017 and 2018. The comedian experienced Oscars controversy first-hand during his first stint as presenter, after La La Land was mistakenly declared the winner of best picture – which ultimately went to Moonlight.
“But of course…when they read the wrong winner one year when I hosted the Oscars, we had to make mention of that the next year,” Kimmel told Extra.
Kimmel is set to host the Oscars for the third time, with the 95th annual event scheduled to take place on Sunday March 12 2023. Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNearney, is among the executive producers of next year’s Oscars. She also works as co-head writer and executive producer on Kimmel’s talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live.
The only people to host more times are Whoopi Goldberg and Jack Lemmon (4), Johnny Carson (5), Billy Crystal (9) and Bob Hope (11).
“Jimmy is the perfect host to help us recognize the incredible artists and films of our 95th Oscars,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang said in a statement. “His love of movies, live TV expertise, and ability to connect with our global audiences will create an unforgettable experience for our millions of viewers worldwide.”
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