James Corden: Will Smith ‘can’t take a joke’ and Chris Rock ‘can take a punch’
Corden also put a topical twist on ‘We Need to Talk About Bruno’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.James Corden has accused Will Smith of not being able to “take a joke” after he slapped comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars.
Speaking on his The Late Late Show, Corden directly addressed the controversy from the Oscars where Smith slapped Rock after he made a joke about his wife’s appearance.
“I’ll say this, Will Smith can’t take a joke,” Corden said.
He went on to praise how Rock handled the incident: “Seriously though, I applaud Chris Rock for recovering, keeping the show moving. It was an incredibly dignified response.”
The Cinderella star also joked, “Chris Rock can take a punch. A steel jaw. Unbelievable!"
Corden joked about losing bets on other actors having a confrontation: “I mean, the whole incident threw me off in a huge way, also completely ruined my chances in the Oscar pool. I had Dame Judi Dench smacking Woody Harrelson.”
Corden later parodied the incident later in the show by singing, “We don’t talk about Jada, no, no, no,” to the tune of the hit song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Disney’s Oscar-winning Encanto.
Numerous other celebrities have criticised the way Smith handled the joke which made reference to Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head, which is a result of her alopecia.
Oscars co-host Amy Schumer said the incident “traumatised” her, while Jim Carrey said that Smith should have been “arrested”.
Find the full list of 2022 Oscar winners here. See the latest updates and reactions from the dramatic ceremony here, and read about the biggest talking points here.