Howard Stern compared Will Smith to Donald Trump during the March 28 episode of his long-running SiriusXM radio show (via Mediaite). Stern was responding to the drama that unfolded at the 94th Academy Awards, where Will Smith took the stage and slapped Chris Rock on live television after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. Pinkett Smith shaved her head last year because she has alopecia, which causes hair loss.
“He opened hand with a lot of force, smacks him right in the mouth on TV,” Stern said. “Now the first thing I said to myself was ‘what the fuck is going on, is this a bit?’ because where is security? This is a live television event! Not one person came out, because he’s Will Smith, this is how Trump gets away with shit. Will Smith and Trump are the same guy. He decided he’s going to take matters into his own hands.”
More from Variety
Stern added, “At a time when the world is at war. Bad timing, man. Calm your fucking ass down….[And Chris Rock] was flustered, he was obviously, his head, he got fucked over.”
Stern wasn’t the only Hollywood voice condemning Will Smith after the Oscars. Comedians such as Kathy Griffin, Judd Apatow and more spoke out against Smith following the slap, with Griffin posting on Twitter: “Let me tell you something, it’s a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a comedian. Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters.”
Other celebrities such as Tiffany Haddish were in Smith’s corner. Haddish starred with Pinkett Smith in the comedy “Girls Trip” and told People magazine that Will Smith smacking Rock was “the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“When I saw a Black man stand up for his wife. That meant so much to me,” Haddish added. “As a woman, who has been unprotected, for someone to say like, ‘Keep my wife’s name out your mouth, leave my wife alone,’ that’s what your husband is supposed to do, right? Protect you. And that meant the world to me. And maybe the world might not like how it went down, but for me, it was the most beautiful thing I ever seen because it made me believe that there are still men out there that love and care about their women, their wives.”
Click here for more Hollywood reactions to Smith’s Oscars slap.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.