Reading Time: 3 minutes
It was the slap heard round the world. And apparently, its echoes are still reverberating nearly two years later.
Yes, as we prepare for the announcement of the 2025 Oscar nominees, many are looking back on what might be the most memorable moment in the award show’s history.
We’re talking, of course, about the moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock after the comic made a joke about Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Will Smith Is Still Holding a Grudge, Insider Claims
Will hasn’t suffered many consequences as a result of the slap. In fact, he won his first Oscar about an hour later.
He received a 10-year ban from the Oscars, but we doubt that he’s terribly upset about that slap (pardon the pun) on the wrist.
However, despite the fact that Smith’s career rebounded nicely — last year’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die grossed over $210 million, proving that Will is still a box office draw — it seems he’s still holding a grudge against Chris.
“Will’s getting the last laugh and loving it,” an insider close to the situation tells In Touch.
The source adds that Smith “will never forgive Chris for ruining his life, even though he’s managed to pick up the pieces in the last year or so.”
The insider believes that Will is still furious about the fact that the incident tarnished his nice guy reputation.
Will apologized to Chris in a video he shared in July of 2022. But despite that act of contrition, the informant insists that Smith’s feelings toward Rock have not changed.
“He still hates the guy and his smug attitude,” the insider says.
Any hopes for a reconciliation between the former friends might have been dashed by the standup special that Chris released in March of 2023.
At the end of the hour, Rock went off on the Smiths in a blistering takedown. And it wasn’t lost on fans that the special was filmed in Jada’s hometown of Baltimore.
Not surprisingly, Will was (reportedly) less than pleased.
“Chris isn’t the victim here, not in Will’s opinion,” the source continues.
“A lot of people would agree with Will and think what’s happening to Chris is karma for refusing to speak to Will or accept his apology.”
So it seems that the Oscars’ most infamous feud is far from over. It’s anyone’s guess if Chris will be in attendance at this year’s ceremony — but if he is, he won’t need to worry about another run-in with Will.
