Comedian Katherine Ryan has spoken out about Will Smith hitting Chris Rock at the Oscars, saying Smith should have stayed at home if he couldn't take a joke.
Smith slapped Rock on stage at the Academy Awards on Sunday, 27 March, after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's hair.
While Smith has since apologised, many celebrities have weighed in with their opinion on the incident, including Ryan, who took to her Instagram stories to comment on the situation.
Ryan used the platform to open up a conversation about the incident with her fans, later sharing some of the discussions they had.
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One fan wrote to Ryan: "I don’t condone what he did, violence is never the answer but just because Chris is a ‘comedian’, it means Will has to sit and watch his wife be insulted? Chris shouldn’t have said it, Will shouldn’t have hit him."
In response, Ryan said: "Yes, he has to sit and watch his wife be insulted, yes that’s the point of the celeb monologue.
"Can’t take a joke, stay home," she continued.
The discourse on Ryan's social media continued, with another user writing: "I felt the same initially about Smith (get back in your box, dude) but the focus on the slap itself and not the humiliation of a Black woman with a condition on a world stage surely isn’t being given enough focus?"
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The user went on to draw attention to 'the politicisation and policing of Black hair has been rife for centuries, and is so complex and nuanced – Rock’s derogatory comment was well below the belt and incredibly harmful.'
Rock's joke compared Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia, to G.I Jane - a character portrayed by Demi Moore who notably has a shaved head.
According to the Independent, a source close to Rock said the comedian had no idea about Pinkett Smith's alopecia diagnosis.
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Ryan responded to the user's remarks in defence of Rock, adding: "Yes I know and maybe you don’t know that CHRIS ROCK MADE AN ENTIRE DOCUMENTARY CALLED GOOD HAIR."
Rock's 2009 documentary centred on the importance of hair in Black culture, with the comedian interviewing celebrities including Raven Symone.
Pinkett Smith has previously opened up about her struggles with her hair and said in a TikTok video a few days prior to the Oscars that she is proud of her hair. "I feel the freedom today. I don't give two craps what people think of this bald head of mine," she said.
Featured Image Credit: @kathbum/Instagram/ABCTopics: Celebrity, Will Smith, Oscars, US News, News