George Lopezis standing withChris Rock.
Noting that he is a “member of the Academy” — the organization behindthe Oscars— Lopez told PEOPLE exclusively that weighing in on the incident is “like deciding which parent you want to live with” and Lopez is “staying with my dad and Chris Rock.”
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Lopez, who has long been friends with Rock — and once described the comedian as “one of my heroes” — also said “He’s got a lot of great friends.”
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“I think whatWanda Sykessaid on [The Ellen DeGeneres Show] was very, very powerful. They’ve been friends for a long time, and a comedian never really wants to show their vulnerability,” he noted. “And I could tell that in Wanda, that it hasaffected her deeplythat one of her best friends was struck like that.”
Lopez also reflected on the current state of comedy, telling PEOPLE, “Well, nobody’s been able to take a joke for the last five or six years.”
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“So, moving forward,” he added, “I think that people will feel like they’re able to stand up and [do what they want]. You come to enjoy a show, not to make a statement.”
Back at his table, Smith shouted to a stunned Rock: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—–g mouth.” Smith remained seated with his wife at his table for the rest of the night. Rock declined to press charges.
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When Smith won Best Actor later in the ceremony moments later, he apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees,but did not mention Rock. In his tearful speech, he spoke about acting out of love and protection, saying, “Love makes you do crazy things.”
RELATED VIDEO: Chris Rock Said He Let People ‘Walk All Over’ Him 2 Months BeforeWill SmithSmacked Him at Oscars
On Monday, Smithpublicly apologized to Rockin a statement shared on Instagram, saying, in part, “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.”
That same day, the Academy said in a statement, “The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show. We haveofficially started a formal reviewaround the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”
The Academy then said days later that Smith wasactually asked to leaveafter the incident but “refused.” The organization added: “We also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
source: people.com
