Wanda Sykes physically felt ill & is still a little traumatized by the slap

Wanda Sykes was one the three hosts of the Oscars, alongside Amy Schumer and Regina Hall. Lost in the Chris Rock-Will Smith slap issue was the fact that they were half-way bombing as hosts. There were a handful of good jokes, but basically Oscar producers thought they needed three women to simply move things along… and they really didn’t need that many. As for Wanda specifically, like Schumer, she has a long-standing relationship and friendship with Chris Rock. Like Schumer, Rock championed her as a comedian and they’ve worked together and been comedy-circuit friends for years. Wanda appeared on The Ellen Show and of course Ellen asked Wanda about the slap. Wanda had a lot to say:

Chris apologized to her: Sykes told DeGeneres that she “felt so awful for my friend Chris” when she found out about it while backstage. “I hope he doesn’t mind me saying this, but I saw Chris at [Guy Oseary’s after party] and as soon as I walked up to him, the first thing he said is, ‘I’m so sorry.’ I was like, ‘Why are you apologizing?’ He was like, ‘It was supposed to be your night. You and Amy and Regina were doing such a great job. I’m so sorry this is now gonna be about this.’ Because that’s who Chris is.”

The slap: “It was sickening. It was absolutely— I physically felt ill, and I’m still a little traumatized by it. And for them to let [Will] stay in that room and enjoy the rest of the show and accept his award, I was like, ‘How gross is this?’ This sends the wrong message. If you assault somebody, you get escorted out the building and that’s it. But for them to let him continue, I thought it was gross.”

She feels like she, Amy and Regina deserve an apology: “We were the hosts, right? So we were, this is our house, we’re inviting you in, we’re hosts, we’re gonna take care of y’all tonight and make sure you have a good time. And no one has apologized to us. We worked really hard to put that show together, so just the industry itself, I’m like, ‘What the hell is this?’ “

[From People]

Not to be pedantic, but Will apologized to everyone in the room during his Best Actor speech. He wept and apologized to the Academy and everyone there (except Chris Rock). Yeah, he didn’t personally apologize to Wanda, Amy and Regina, I guess, although I would think that his second apology on Monday also covered everything else. And no, Will Smith was not there because Wanda, Amy and Regina invited him to THEIR house. He was nominated for Best Actor. His third Best Actor Oscar nomination. He wasn’t there by Wanda’s grace. I mean, she can feel however she wants about it, that’s her business and whatever. I think it’s starting to get really melodramatic to hear about how people were “traumatized” by seeing a grown man slap the taste out of another grown man’s mouth.

I’ll continue to say this because I still can’t believe it: it was the responsibility of the Oscar producers and hosts to change the energy after the slap happened. People were so unsettled because none of the people “in charge” could make the call about what to do or say.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar.

Oscar® co-host Wanda Sykes arrives on the red carpet of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673500401, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: ©A.M.P.A.S. All rights reserved., Model Release: no, Credit line: LCY / Avalon – Los Angele, USA -20220327-The 94th Academy Awards-Arrivals -PICTURED: Wanda Sykes -PHOTO by: Abby Grant/Cover Images/INSTARimages.com -Wanda Sykes_3670.jpg This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded

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