by Venus Sanders
Trigger Warning
On March 27, 2022, the slap heard across the nation sent ripples through Hollywood.
During the 94th Academy Awards, actor Will Smith walked onstage and slapped comedian Chris Rock across the face during Rock’s presentation for Best Documentary Feature. It didn’t take long for many actors and actresses to tweet their feelings about Smith after this incident, with many saying that he is "done in Hollywood" and voicing how disappointed they were in his reaction to Rock.
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What prompted this attack was Rock making what he thought to be a harmless joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, relating to her bald head. Some time prior, Jada had stated that she shaved her head due to her alopecia worsening. However, Smith’s reaction led many to speculate that there was more to the story than just alopecia. Fast forward to more recent events, images surfaced of Smith holding Jada by his side as she appeared to be weakened, possibly suffering from a health concern that the couple has managed to keep private.
Either way, it was a night to remember, and Smith was ridiculed by many of his peers for defending his wife. While he has gone on to star in movies since, "slapgate" is something that has permanently tainted his career. Meanwhile, there’s Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie wed on August 23, 2014, in an intimate ceremony in the French village of Correns.
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The pair share six children together—Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne. However, on September 20, 2016, Jolie filed for divorce after a decade together and two years of marriage. What’s interesting is that despite a detailed report on why Jolie filed for divorce, Pitt has, well, suffered no consequences in his career. His peers? Silent. Not one tweet, not one interview criticizing him, despite the report detailing an incident where he allegedly attacked both Jolie and their children.
Let’s get into it:
There’s a lengthy and detailed FBI report that describes how Pitt's abusive behavior began even before the family arrived at an airport. Once they boarded the plane, he was allegedly both physically and emotionally abusive to Jolie and their children, who were between the ages of 8 and 15 at the time. This was the first report to include allegations of his abuse toward the children, whereas previous accounts primarily focused on abuse directed at Jolie.