Wanda Sykes On Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock: Sickening

Wanda revealed she was headed back to her trailer to change into her next outfit when Will Smith hopped onstage and slapped Chris Rock on live television. By the time she got to her trailer, she saw Will telling Chris, “Keep my wife’s name out your fucking mouth!”

“I felt so awful for my friend Chris,” Wanda told Ellen. “It was sickening. It was absolutely— I physically felt ill.”

Wanda and Ellen said that they were both still a little traumatized by the entire incident, especially because Will was allowed to stay in the room after it happened.

“And for them to let [Will] stay in that room and enjoy the rest of the show and accept his award, I was like, ‘How gross is this?'”

“This sends the wrong message. If you assault somebody, you get escorted out the building, and that’s it. But for them to let him continue, I thought it was gross.”

Wanda admitted she wanted to be able to run out onstage after Will won for “Best Actor” and say, “Ugh, unfortunately Will couldn’t be here tonight.”

“We’re hosts; we’re gonna take care of y’all tonight and make sure you have a good time. And no one has apologized to us. We worked really hard to put that show together, so just the industry itself, I’m like, ‘What the hell is this?'”

Wanda might’ve not received an apology from Will, but she did get one from Chris. “I hope he doesn’t mind me saying this, but I saw Chris at [Guy Oseary’s after party], and as soon as I walked up to him, the first thing he said is, ‘I’m so sorry.'”

“I was like, ‘Why are you apologizing?’ He was like, ‘It was supposed to be your night. You and Amy and Regina were doing such a great job. I’m so sorry this is now gonna be about this.'”

“That’s just the type of guy Chris is,” said Wanda. “Yes,” Ellen added. “Chris is a sweet guy.”