Oscars’ Host Jimmy Kimmel Jokes About Will Smith’s 2022 Oscar Slap

Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Oscars in 2017, 2018 and now 2023, and seems to get better each time.

The Oscars’ host must balance being entertaining and keeping the show moving, while also touching on current hot topics without getting too political.

For Kimmel in 2017, he had to choose how much he was going to address recently elected Donald Trump. Fans of Kimmel said he did a good job with touching on the subject, but critics shamed him for being ‘out of touch’ and unoriginal.

In 2018 Kimmel had another challenge to address, or not: the Me Too Movement. That year fans enjoyed Kimmel’s energy, while critics were again unimpressed with his lack of admonishing predators like Harvey Weinstein.

But for 2023, Kimmel had plenty to joke about when it came to the previous year’s infamous Will Smith slap.

“Tonight, we have no time for shenanigans. This is a celebration for everyone here,” Kimmel said. “If anyone in this theater commits an act of violence at any point during the show, you will be awarded the Oscar for Best Actor. And if any of you get mad at a joke and decide you want to come up here and get jiggy with it, it’s not going to be easy.”

Kimmel went on to joke about the many obstacles a threat would have to get through, such as Creed star Michael B Jordan, The Mandalorian‘s Pedro Pascal, The Amazing Spider-Man Andrew Garfield and Everything Everywhere All At Once Golden Globe and Oscar winner, Michelle Yeoh.

As for Smith, he has since been banned from the Oscars for ten years and he issued a public apology to the slap recipient, Chris Rock.

“Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada [Pinkett Smith]‘s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,” Smith said. “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. I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world.”