‘Hollywood is Just Spineless’: Jim Carrey ‘Sickened’ By Oscars Crowd Giving Will Smith a Standing Ovation

Jim Carrey has criticized Hollywood for giving Will Smith a standing ovation when he won Best Actor for King Richard … right after he smacked Chris Rock in the face.

“I was sickened,” Carrey told CBS’ Gayle King of the instantly viral slap. “I was sickened by the standing ovation. Hollywood is just spineless en masse, and it really felt like this is a really clear indication that we aren’t the cool club anymore.”

King noted that many have suggested the only reason Smith was not detained is due to the fact that he is a big Hollywood name, prompting Carrey to say that he should have been arrested.

Carrey later guessed that Rock declined to file a police report about the incident because he “didn’t want the hassle.”

“I’d have announced this morning that I was suing Will for $200 million,” Carrey said. “That video is gonna be there forever. It’s gonna be ubiquitous. You know, that insult is gonna last a very long time.”

Carrey went on to say that the slap came out of nowhere “because Will has something going on inside him that’s frustrated,” adding, “I wish him the best.”

“I have nothing against Will Smith. He’s done great things, but that was not a good moment. It cast a shadow over everyone’s shining moment last night,” he concluded. “It was a selfish moment.”

After slapping Rock across the face for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, Smith accepted the award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Richard Williams in King Richard. 

Smith received a standing ovation while he went up on stage to accept the award, going on to apologize to the Academy for the outburst.

He later apologized to Rock directly in an Instagram post, saying, “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive.”

“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong,” he added. “I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

Watch above, via CBS.