It has been a good two years since Will Smith landed a blow on comedian and Oscar host Chris Rock for cracking a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Many initially thought it was a scripted Academy drama, but it soon became clear how the 2022 event earned its 'infamous' title. A lot has happened since then- confrontations, apologies, and public outcry. However, it appears that the impact of the Slapgate incident lingered in Chris Rock's heart for quite some time following the 2022 ceremony. 

Recently, Jerry Seinfeld opened up about how the Will Smith slap fiasco had weighed on Chris Rock's mind. 

During a recent chat on the Fly on the Wall podcast, Jerry Seinfeld revealed that he had hoped Chris Rock would parody the infamous Oscars slap in his directorial debut, Unfrosted, which just hit Netflix. Seinfeld filmed the comedy not long after the March 2022 Oscars, but Rock supposedly felt too rattled by the incident to participate in it. “He was a little shook from that event,” Seinfeld said.

The podcast's co-host, Dana Carvey, also believed that Rock spoofing the Oscars slap would have been hilarious. However, Carvey pointed out, "there’s still kind of a residual darkness around that moment". While the slap incident did wonders for Oscar ratings, it dealt a severe blow to Will Smith and his Hollywood career.

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In later months of 2022, Will Smith revisited his infamous Oscars' night for the first time during a TV interview.

During an appearance on The Daily Show in 2022, Will Smith recounted how he "just lost it" in response to Chris Rock's joke about his wife's hair. Throughout the 20-minute interview, Trevor Noah played an active role in offering understanding and comfort as Smith, tears in his eyes, nodded in agreement. Smith confessed that his greatest challenge in the preceding eight months had been learning to forgive himself "for being human".

The response to this apology, however, was different. The industry had mixed reactions to the interaction between the actor and Trevor Noah during the interview. And given the significant impact of the incident on both the audience and Chris Rock, it remains uncertain how long it will take for Will Smith to redeem his public image completely. 

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What do you think about Jerry Seinfeld’s revelation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!