Ricky Gervais has finally weighed in on slapgate, revealing the savage joke he would have told if he had been hosting the Oscars.
Renowned for roasting celebrities, Gervais has hosted the Golden Globes five times, delivering with relish one-liners that have punctured some of the biggest egos in the business.
“I’ll get it out of the way. I have not got any Will Smith material,” Gervais reportedly said during a show on Thursday.
“I trended when that happened and I was not even there. What has it got to do with me? People were going ‘What would have happened if Ricky Gervais had been (hosting)?’
“Well, nothing as I would not have made a joke about his wife’s hair. I would have made a joke about her boyfriend.”
Gervais’ joke is reference to Pinkett Smith’s years-long affair with R&B singer August Alsina.
The couple initially denied the claim when in 2020 Alsina revealed the “entanglement” had Will Smith’s blessing, but then later admitted it happened after the Smiths temporarily split up a few years earlier.
The Oscars ceremony was rocked on Monday when Smith stormed the stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock after he cracked a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair. He then returned to his seat and swore at him to “get my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!”
The incident has has sent shockwaves through Hollywood’s elite, with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announcing it had initiated disciplinary proceedings against Smith, who, it has been revealed, refused to leave the ceremony after the incident.
When asked by a fan on Twitter on Monday, before the slap, what Gervais would say if he was hosting the awards ceremony this year, he made a point of calling out the overt luxury.
“I’d start with ‘Hello. I hope this show helps cheer up the ordinary people watching at home. If you’re unemployed for example, take some comfort in the fact that even if you had a job, your salary probably wouldn’t be as much as the goody bag all the actors have just been given,” he wrote on Twitter.
He then went on to target the show again, this time saying the event was geared towards everyone but “poor people”.
“I’m proud to announce that this is the most diverse and progressive Oscars ever. Looking out I see people from all walks of life. Every demographic under the sun. Except poor people, obviously. F**k them,” the comedian tweeted.
