Laugh Factory changes marquee to support Chris Rock in wake of Will Smith slap
Hollywood's iconic Laugh Factory expressed its public support for Chris Rock Tuesday in the wake of the Oscars debacle in which the comedian was slapped by actor Will Smith on the stage of the Dolby Theatre in front of millions of people.
The comedy club on Sunset Boulevard changed its marquee to read, "Laugh Factory supports First Amendment right (sic) for all comedians. Your comedy community loves & supports you Chris."
The shocking moment came towards the tail end of Sunday night's telecast, when Rock -- who was presenting the award for best documentary feature -- made a joke about Smith's wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith.
Rock, referencing Pinkett Smith's bald head, suggested she would be starring in a sequel to the 1997 movie "G.I. Jane."
"Jada, I love you, 'G.I. Jane 2,' can't wait to see it."
Pinkett Smith has talked in the past about having the hair-loss condition alopecia. And her husband, who initially appeared to laugh at the quip, then lumbered on stage and slapped Rock.
"Will Smith just smacked the s--- out of me," Rock told the crowd, who initially laughed thinking it was a bit.
Smith returned to his seat, then yell at Rock twice, "keep my wife's name out of your f----- mouth."
Minutes later, Smith won the best actor award for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams, in "King Richard."
The incident prompted a flurry of anger from fellow comedians.
"Let me tell you something, it's a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a comedian," Kathy Griffin wrote on Twitter. "Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next will smith in comedy clubs and theaters."
On Monday, Smith apologized to Rock in an Instagram post, stating that his behavior was "out of line" and "not indicative of the man I want to be."
