Gilbert Gottfried Revealed His Stance on Oscars Slap In Last Instagram Post Before Passing
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Before he passed away, Gilbert Gottfried revealed his stance on Will Smith’s onstage slap of Chris Rock at the Oscars.
For those who somehow missed the moment, Smith shocked viewers of the 2022 Oscars when he walked onstage and smacked Rock across the face in response to a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head.
Pinkett Smith revealed her alopecia diagnosis in 2018, making the topic a particularly personal one.
Gottfried, who was no stranger to referencing pop culture moments on Instagram, shared an image of himself with Rock shortly after the instantly viral slap.
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“Which is the worst crime?” Gottfried wrote. “Chris Rock being physically assaulted or Chris Rock telling a joke?”
While Gottfried teased Rock in the post, it’s pretty clear he was using the joke to support his friend and fellow stand-up comedian.
Gottfried’s family confirmed the news of his passing in a Tuesday tweet, sharing that he had died after battling a long illness.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness. In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children,” read the statement. “Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor. Love, the Gottfried family.”
Gottfried was largely known for his voice acting roles as Aladdin’s Iago, DC Comics villain Mr. Mxyzptlk, Dr. Bender and his son Wendell on The Fairly Odd Parents, the robotic bird Digit in PBS Kids’ Cyberchase, and other iconic characters.
