Former Oscars Host Billy Crystal Says Will Smith’s Slap Was an Assault

Former Oscars host Billy Crystal is weighing in on Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, calling it a “most disturbing incident, for sure. It was an assault. I’ve had experiences. I hosted the Grammys three times and I’ve been thrown things.” Indeed, Billy Crystal is probably the most seasoned awards show host of his generation, having hosted nine Academy Awards ceremonies and three Grammys. Crystal was such an acclaimed and beloved host that it earned him multiple Emmy Awards. So when he says “I’ve been thrown things,” he basically means having to manage the biggest stars in the world – sometimes during intense rivalries or conflicts. 

In his longer discussion with Bob Costas during HBO Max’s Back on the Record, Crystal emphasized why sometimes having a dedicated host to MC an awards event is a big advantage: 

“I sort of set myself up to host the show, really host the show, so you can tie it together. So, whenever I see shows that it’s a no-host show, yeah, it went faster, but there’s nobody there to capitalize on anything and give the audience the feeling of there’s somebody in charge… we would go through the rundown and I’d say, ‘Maybe I should be there because something might happen there. If that person wins, I should follow that.’”

The 2022 Oscars went with a rotating trio of hosts: Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes, and Regina Hall. No one has criticized the ladies for not diverting the moment away from the debacle we saw – and why would they? Chris Rock chose to go off-script with his jokes, and no one ever would’ve expected Will Smith to react the way he did. Not in a million years. 

That said, ever since Smith struck Rock there has been discussion of how he was able to storm the stage without resistance; why Rock seemed to simply wait for the strike instead of defending himself or retreating; and how Will Smith was able to stay at the Oscars without facing consequences from either police or The Academy. Many of those questions have since been answered: Rock never expected Will to really hit him; The Academy leaders were divided about how to handle things, and police did not intervene because Rock refused to press charges, and officers did not directly witness the incident. 

The fallout from Smith’s outburst has included him opting to resign from The Academy, while a formal meeting about further consequences is scheduled for Friday, April 8th.