Oscar executive producer Molly McNearney revealed that several Will Smith jokes were cut from the broadcast.
“I can’t tell you how many Will Smith jokes we got rid of afterwards. Of course there were the harshest jokes but we thought it would be inappropriate to put them on the air,” McNearney shared. According to the producer, the harshest jokes were cut to “avoid last year’s experience.”
Comedian Jimmy Kimmel, several times part-time husband of Molly McNearney she made a joke From the Oscar 2023 scene to Will Smith’s slap.
Will Smith took the stage at the Oscars on March 27, 2022, and slapped host Chris Rock for a joke the comedian made about Smith’s wife’s “too short hair”. Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from an autoimmune disease and is losing her hair.