Outspoken radio host Howard Stern said on his show Monday that Will Smith and Donald Trump are the “same guy,” claiming they both managed to skirt accountability because of who they are.
Stern, however, made the remark before Smith publicly apologized on Monday to Chris Rock for striking him on stage at the Oscars for a joke the comedian had made about his wife.
“My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” Smith said as he apologized to Rock. “I was out of line and I was wrong.”
The consequences Smith may face for hitting Rock remain unclear. And critics continued to question why no action was taken immediately.
Stern said he was stunned to see Smith stride onstage at the Oscars in Los Angeles and strike Rock after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. Pinkett Smith, Smith’s wife, suffers from the medical condition alopecia, which causes hair loss and balding.
“The first thing I said to myself was: ‘What the fuck is going on ... because where’s security?’ This is a live television event,” said the SiriusXM host.
“Not one person came out because he’s Will Smith,” Stern added. “This is how Trump gets away with shit. Will Smith and Trump are the same guy.”
Smith was “allowed to sit there for the rest of the awards” after “assaulting” Rock for making a joke, said Stern. “And he’s laughing it up and having a good time with his wife.”
A short time after the violence, Smith walked to the stage again — to be applauded and honored with the Best Actor award for “King Richard.” He apologized to the academy — but pointedly not to Rock — in that speech, yet also appeared to excuse his actions by insisting: “Love will make you do crazy things.”
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Oscars, issued a statement Sunday saying that it does not “condone violence,” but did not mention Smith’s name. It announced on Monday that it’s launching an investigation into the incident.
The academy also said it would “explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”
Comedian Rosie O’Donnell also tweeted Monday about the “Trump years” when “we don’t hold anyone accountable.”
She was responding to a post by journalist Maria Shriver, who wrote: “We should never get to a place where we sit and watch a movie star hit someone on global television then, moments later, get a standing ovation while talking about love.”
CNN analyst Asha Rangappa wondered why no one at the event walked out. She asked: “Are we getting an independent psychological case study on how Trump got normalized?”