Jason Momoahad a front-row seat to the momentWill SmithstruckChris Rockonstage atthe OscarsSunday night, and he’s sharing his immediate reaction.
“I was pretty shocked,” theDuneactor, 42, told PEOPLE at the 2022Vanity FairOscars Party.
“I don’t know. You just never know where people are at, you know? There’s a tipping point for everyone, right? I’ve had my places,” says Momoa. “He can ask for forgiveness. Sometimes you’re just sensitive. We’re all sensitive. I’m not walking in his shoes, [but] I’ve definitely been in places like that.”
He adds, “It’s just people, we’re under a microscope. I don’t know what really it was for him, be he’s an amazing human being. Both of them. And they’ll work it out.”
Jason Momoa.Mike Coppola/Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
For more on the Will Smith-Chris Rock incident at the Oscars, listen below to our daily podcast on PEOPLE Every Day.
Seconds later, Will, 53, walked onstage and approached Rock,smacking him in front of the audienceand millions watching the telecast at home. Back at his table, Will shouted to a stunned Rock: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—–g mouth.”
Chris Rock; Will Smith.Getty (2)
Rockdeclined to press charges. When Will won Best Actor later in the ceremony, he apologized to the Academy and his fellow nomineesbut did not mention Rock. In his tearful speech, he spoke about acting out of love and protection, saying, “Love makes you do crazy things.”
In his acceptance speech, Will referenced sometimes being the butt of jokes in Hollywood and having to roll with it: “I know to do what we do you gotta be able to take abuse; you gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business you gotta be able to have people disrespecting you, and you gotta smile and pretend like that’s okay.”
In astatementafter the show, the Academy said, “The Academy does not condone violence of any form. Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world,” it continued, shifting the focus to the newly mintedOscar winners.
source: people.com
