"Get my wife's name out of your f****** mouth" screamed Will Smith to Chris Rock in one of the most awkward moments in Oscars history. Video / TVNZ
Controversial broadcaster Piers Morgan has weighed in on the Will Smith drama at the Oscars 2022.
He's publicly defended the actor against "cancel culture" after Smith caused a stir at the ceremony by slapping comedian Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, writes Metro UK.
While presenting an award, Rock called her G.I. Jane in reference to her shaved head. However, it's widely known that she has openly battled with alopecia, which causes hair loss.
Morgan, formerly of Good Morning Britain, called it one of the "ugliest" Oscars moments ever seen, but has now said he gets where Smith was coming from.
In a column for The Sun, he wrote that if Rock knew about Jada's condition, then his "nasty, cruel quip ... warranted a husband's wrath".
And he added that while Smith definitely slapped the comic, it wasn't a close-fisted "punch".
"Making fun of a woman who's lost all her hair isn't funny, it's just unkind," he continued.
"As for Will Smith, as the cancel culture mob race to destroy him, hysterically demanding he be stripped of his best actor award and charged with assault, I find myself moved to defend him."
Will Smith took a swing at the comedian on the Oscars stage. Photo / Getty Images
Morgan added that the actor was just "standing up for his wife" and in times gone by, would have been "saluted for defending his girl" rather than "savaged by an overly sensitive snowflake society".
And he's not the only celebrity to defend Smith. Tiffany Haddish also commended him for standing up for his wife.
She told People, "When I saw a black man stand up for his wife. That meant so much to me ...
"Maybe the world might not like how it went down, but for me, it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen because it made me believe that there are still men out there that love and care about their women, their wives.'"
Rapper Nicki Minaj also defended Smith, who as she pointed out has likely witnessed his wife's private struggle with alopecia.
