The already infamous slap occurred as Chris Rock was presenting the Best Documentary Feature category, and making a few jabs at the celebrities in the audience. But when he took aim at Jada Pinkett Smith’s appearance (specifically her short hair), a physical altercation with Will Smith eventually followed. Shaq has his own opinion on the subject, and it relates back to Rock’s hosting of the Oscars back in 2016. According to the legendary athlete, Smith had asked the comedian to stop making jokes about Jada Pinkett Smith back then. He's shared thoughts on his podcast called The Big Podcast with Shaq, offering new context by saying:

Aha. This certainly is anothe perspective on what happened at the Academy Awards, and might offer some new information for those curious about how things got so out of hand. According to Shaq, Chris Rock had previously been asked by Will Smith to lay off his wife. And so when the comedian took aim at The Matrix Resurrections actress’ appearance, it reportedly caused that violent reaction we saw on television. 

Clearly the conversation surrounding that viral Oscars moment isn’t going to slow anytime soon, with both Will Smith and the Film Academy offering new updates over the past week and change. Plenty of folks have offered their take on the situation, as the slap continues to dominate the news cycle. For his part, Chris Rock is touring and choosing not to include any jokes about the incident during his set.

Chris Rock made a reference to Jada Pinkett Smith and the 1997 movie G.I. Jane, but was seemingly unaware that the actress has been open about her hair loss and alopecia. This has further complicated the ongoing discourse about both Rock’s joke and the slap, with issues of race, sexism, and disabilities factoring in. Shaq’s assertion that the conflict goes back to 2016 is just another aspect of the situation to factor in.

The fallout from the Oscars slap has resulted in Will Smith resigning from the Film Academy, and a number of his projects being put on hold. Be sure to check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.