BOSTON (WHDH) - Actor Will Smith left the Academy Awards audience stunned Sunday when he took the stage during Chris Rock’s remarks after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, and hit him.
Rock said, “Jada, I love you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it.” But, the joke did not sit well with Pinkett Smith, whose head is shaved and has spoken publicly about her alopecia diagnosis.
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Fans took to social media to weigh in on the controversial slap and among those sharing their opinion was Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley who applauded Smith for his actions.
A tweet posted to her account read in part: “Thank you Will Smith. Shout out to all the husbands who defend their wives living with alopecia in the face of daily ignorance and insults.”
In January of 2020, the congresswoman publicly revealed she was suffering from hair loss due to the same auto-immune disease Pinkett Smith is living with. But Pressley’s tweet caused major backlash.
“She is held to a higher standard in her position as a congresswoman in Massachusetts for the state. And she’s a role model for everyone. And to blatantly come on and say violence is OK. Someone says something that you don’t like, it’s OK to behave in such a way –that’s not right,” said Franklin School Committee Chair Denise Spencer.
Spencer took to Twitter and spoke out against the congresswoman’s post writing, “Bullying and physical violence are such serious problems and the message we need to send collectively is that violence is never the answer.”
Pressley has since deleted the original tweet and tried to clarify her initial support of Smith’s actions in a series of posts reading:
“My life’s work has always been about trauma and healing. I’m a survivor – I don’t endorse violence in any form.”
Above a photo with her husband, Pressley posted:
“Let’s talk about what it’s like to live with alopecia. The deeply vulnerable and difficult moments that our families see. Appreciation post for those who hold us down and support us when we’re at our lowest points. They see us, fully.”
“Our bodies are not public domain. They are not a line in a joke – especially when the transformation is not of our choosing. I’m a survivor of violence. I’m a proud Alopecian. The psychological toll we carry daily is real. Team Jada always, that’s that on that.”
Spencer said that while she appreciates Pressley’s clarifications, she feels the damage has already been done.
7NEWS reached out to Pressley’s office for comment and were told to refer to her most recent Twitter posts.
An organization that works to prevent domestic violence said they believe Pressley was just trying to be an advocate for victims.
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