Though there was no shortage of Will Smith jokes on the 2023 Oscars, it seems that only the very best ones made the cut.
Molly McNearney, the ceremony’s executive producer — and host Jimmy Kimmel’s wife — revealed why lots of other jokes were cut from her husband’s monologue.
“We didn’t intend to make this yr all about last yr,” McNearney, 45, told Variety.
“I cannot let you know what number of Will Smith jokes we had that then we removed. We expect that only the very best for that room made it.”
“There have been actually some that went harder, but we didn’t think that was our place to do this. That ought to be Chris Rock, not us,” she added.
Despite that, Kimmel did include several nods to the infamous “slapgate.”
“We actually liked the concept of creating fun of the response to it last yr,” McNearney explained.
“I feel we’re all still in a little bit of shock of how that went down and the way after watching that violence everyone needed to then sit through an acceptance speech.”
During 2022’s live broadcast, Smith, 54, walked onto the stage and slapped Rock after the comedian made a joke concerning the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Rock, 58, compared Pinkett Smith — who has alopecia and shaved her head last summer — to Demi Moore’s bald character “G.I. Jane,” prompting a physical response from Smith.
“Keep my wife’s name out of your f–king mouth!” Smith then shouted — twice — after returning to his seat.
Kimmel opened the 2023 Oscars with a monologue that took a swipe on the actor — and he continued to take jabs at him all night.
“Five Irish actors are nominated tonight — which implies the percentages of one other fight again onstage just went way up,” he said.
But he didn’t stop there — he also poked fun on the proven fact that Smith picked up an Oscar award for “Best Actor” within the movie “King Richard” after the slap.
“So, we’ve got strict policies in place, if anyone on this theater commits an act of violence at any point throughout the show, you shall be awarded the Oscar for Best Actor and permitted to provide a 19-minute long speech.” Kimmel joked.
“Seriously, the Academy has a crisis team in place. If anything unpredictable or violent happens throughout the ceremony, just do what you probably did last yr. Nothing. Sit there and do absolutely nothing, possibly even give the assailant a hug. And if any of you get mad at a joke and choose you ought to come up here and get jiggy with it, it’s not gonna be easy.”
He then made a nod to those sitting within the audience, joking that you simply would should get through the star of “Spiderman” and other Oscar nominees to get past him for those who suddenly felt the urge to leap on stage and slap someone.
He then said that the show can be “no-nonsense” and have “no time for shenanigans.”
Prior to the event, Kimmel vowed to “beat the s–t out of” anyone who attempts any violent funny business under his watch.
Smith has since resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences following the uproar about his actions.
He was also banned from attending any academy events for the subsequent 10 years.
The Academy recently spoke out concerning the incident, admitting its handling of the ordeal was “inadequate.”
Rock recently referenced the infamous slap in his recent Netflix special “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage” by which he accused Smith of venting anger over his wife’s May to December affair with singer August Alsina.
The special reportedly left Smith “embarrassed and hurt.”
“Everybody on the earth called him a b–h,” Rock said of Smith. “Everybody. Everybody. And who’s he hit? Me. A n—a he knows he could beat. That is a few b—h-ass s—t.”
“Everybody f–king knows. Yes! It happened. I got smacked like a yr ago,” he said. “I got smacked within the f–king Oscars by this motherf—ker!”
“People like, ‘Did it hurt?’ It still hurts! I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears!” Rock went on, referring to Smith’s 1991 hip-hop hit with former musical partner DJ Jazzy Jeff.
“But I’m not a victim, baby. You won’t ever see me on Oprah or Gayle [King], crying.”
