“Right? No. Justified? Yes.” – Passers-by react to Will Smith’s slap

It was a scandal the likes of which has never been seen at the Oscars: Will Smith beats Chris Rock in front of cameras during the awards ceremony in LA. The US comedian had previously made a joke about the actor’s wife, who suffers from an autoimmune disease.

After the incident, the Academy is considering withdrawing the Oscar that Will Smith received. How do people in New York and LA rate the world star’s behavior?

“He has to defend his wife. I would have slapped him too.

• Was the slap hard enough?
• No, I have the impression that it was just a little love slap that says don’t do that again.”

“It is wrong. Lots of kids watched. He’s a star. Chris Rock is a comedian, he does stuff like that – it’s just his job. He should have just spoken to him later.”

“Was it right – no. Was it justified – yes. It’s somewhat ambiguous. He shouldn’t have done it on camera. But Chris Rock said it on camera. Now it’s just that he has to apologize publicly because he made a fool of himself in public.”

“I support him 100 percent. I know many say he shouldn’t have done that. But Chris Rock and Will Smith are friends and have worked together for years: what’s the limit for one person to respect the autonomy of another — especially when they’re struggling with an illness?”

“He shouldn’t have done it. Mainly because he’s a comedian. These people make jokes that are borderline. People sometimes feel offended by this. But it gets difficult when that becomes a precedent that says it’s okay to smack a comedian because you don’t like what they’re saying.”

During the Oscars, Will Smith apologized to the Academy for his behavior. In a written statement on Instagram, he has now also asked Chris Rock for forgiveness.