Judd Apatow claimed in a since-deleted tweet that Will Smith "could have killed" Chris Rock after he slapped him at the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday.
Smith, 53, became the focus of the star-studded ceremony, not for his Oscar-winning performance in King Richard, but because he launched onto the stage to strike Rock after the comedian made a joke about his wife Jade Pinkett Smith's shaved head.
Presenting the award for best documentary, Rock quipped: "Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can't wait to see it." Pinkett Smith responded to the gag by rolling her eyes, while her husband, Smith, seemed to laugh at it.
However, just a short moment later, the Independence Day star made a beeline for the stage, walked over to Rock, and slapped him across the face.
This is the uncensored moment Smith hits Rock:Not anticipating the slap, the 57-year-old comic responded: "Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me."
According to Apatow, producer and director of Knocked Up, Smith was in such a rage at the ceremony that he could have "killed" Rock.
Writing on Twitter, he said in a now-deleted tweet: "He could have killed him. That's pure out of control rage and violence. They've heard a million jokes about them in the last three decades. They are not freshmen in the world of Hollywood and comedy. He lost his mind."
Just a moment after hitting Rock, Smith returned to his seat before telling Rock twice to "leave my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth," with the funnyman assuring the actor it was merely a harmless "G.I. Jane" joke and that he was going to refrain from mentioning Pinkett Smith.
Despite hitting Rock with an audience of millions to witness, Smith was awarded the prize for best actor for his role as Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams, in King Richard.
Harking back to the dramatic encounter, he said in his acceptance speech: "I wanna apologize to the Academy and to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I’m crying for winning an award. It’s not about winning an award for me it’s about being able to shine a light on all of the people, the entire cast and crew."
He added, sobbing: "Art imitates life! I looked like the crazy father, just like they said. But love will make you do crazy things."
Rock has refused to press charges against Smith, and the latter has meanwhile apologized directly to Rock after omitting him from his apology in his acceptance speech.
Taking to Instagram, the actor said: "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness."
Rock is yet to respond to Smith's apology.
