Howard Stern was “disturbed” by Will Smith’s assault on Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, and argues that the “King Richard” actor must suffer from mental illness.
“This is a sign of great mental illness when you can’t control your impulse. Not only that, it was hardly an insulting joke. It was not even a good joke,” Stern, 68, said on his SiriusXM Show on Monday, referring to Rock’s jab at Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head.
“The joke, quite frankly, was beneath Chris Rock. It was a throwaway. ‘You look like G.I. Jane.’”
Stern argued that what fans saw on TV was “a guy who’s got real issues.”
“He didn’t think twice about what he was about to do,” he said. “Now that’s crazy, when you can’t contain yourself like that.”
The radio host claimed that Rock — whom he described as a “gentle soul” and “not a fighter” — was just trying to do his job and Smith is “clearly insane.”
“Poor Chris Rock is a comedian and just trying to get through the day to make the f–king people laugh at that horrible ceremony,” Stern said. “[Rock is] so fast comedy wise, he actually covered and made a joke and said, ‘Gee, best Oscars yet.’”
He added, “He was able to comment outside of what just happened to him and then he got flustered. He got f–ked over.”
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