By Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Academy Awards co-host Amy Schumer said on Wednesday she was “still triggered and traumatized” by best actor winner Will Smith’s slap of presenter Chris Rock at Sunday night’s ceremony.
During the live Oscars telecast, Smith strode onto the stage after Rock made a joke about the appearance of Smith’s wife, then smacked the comedian’s face. The actor then returned to his seat and twice yelled an obscenity at Rock.
Rock regained his composure and announced the winner of best documentary, Questlove’s “Summer of Soul.”
“Still triggered and traumatized,” Schumer said in a post on Instagram three days later. “I love my friend @chrisrock and believe he handled it like a pro. Stayed up there and gave an Oscar to his friend @questlove and the whole thing was so disturbing.
“So much pain in @willsmith anyway I’m still in shock and stunned and sad,” she added.
Schumer also said she was proud of herself and co-hosts Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes.
“But yeah. Waiting for this sickening feeling to go away from what we all witnessed,” she said.
Less than an hour after his attack on Rock, Smith won best actor for his role as the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams in “King Richard.”
But the clash with Rock overshadowed the night’s awards, in which heartwarming movie “CODA” won best picture.
Smith apologized in a statement on Monday, saying he “reacted emotionally” to the joke about his wife, actor and talk show host Jada Pinkett Smith.
Rock had referenced the 1997 film “G.I. Jane” in which actress Demi Moore shaved her head. It was unclear whether Rock was aware that Pinkett Smith has a disease that causes hair loss.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences condemned Smith’s behavior and is weighing whether to take action against him.
If the group concludes Smith violated its conduct policy, it could expel him from the organization, revoke his Oscar or make him ineligible for future awards.
In other recent cases, such as that of disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, the academy revoked his membership but stopped short of taking away his Oscars.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
