By
Wesley Case
April 1, 2022 at 12:01 am ET
The fallout from the Oscars’ most infamous moment continues. New Morning Consult data reveals that Will Smith’s popularity has taken a nosedive after the best actor winner slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage at Sunday’s Academy Awards over Rock’s joke about actress Jada Pinkett Smith, Smith’s wife, having short hair.
The incident has also quickly and decisively penetrated the American discourse like few pop culture events before it, as 88% of U.S. adults said they had seen, read or heard at least some about “The Slap” — on par with general awareness of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and well ahead of other major news events.
While speculation has run rampant in Hollywood over the potential lasting damage for Smith, one of the industry’s most beloved celebrities, the data suggests he faces an uphill battle to return to the heights of popularity he previously enjoyed. And if the Academy decides to suspend or expel Smith over his conduct, it’d likely be another significant blow to his reputation.
On the other hand, Rock seems positioned to benefit from the incident, as evidenced by the immediate spike in ticket sales for his comedy tour. While Rock acknowledged “The Slap” while performing in Boston on Wednesday, the comedian said he was still processing the altercation and would speak more about it at a later time. There’s little doubt many Americans will be acutely interested in whatever Rock has to say on the subject.
Morning Consult’s survey was conducted March 30-31, 2022, among a representative sample of 2,210 U.S. adults, with an unweighted margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.