Judd Apatow's Take Claiming Will Smith 'Could Have Killed Chris Rock' With Slap Mocked Online

Judging by social media reactions, the only thing anyone cares about this morning is that Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at last night's 94th Academy Awards. It was a moment that True Posters knew would lead to a Twitter meltdown, because it would immediately become a thing everyone would have to have an opinion on — many of those opinions labeled “bad.”

Of these, the first of likely many to make headlines came from director Judd Apatow, who was aghast at the slap, saying Smith "could've killed him."

While it's understandable Apatow would condemn the slap, as it was widely viewed as an overreaction to a tasteless but light joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith's alopecia, it seems extreme to claim an open-handed slap could have "killed" Chris Rock. Twitter took to widely dunking on Apatow's handwringing with various jokes imagining how that could have happened.

for example what if will smith was a space marine in full power armor pic.twitter.com/rfB5h1mkSH

— Tom McKay ☕ (@thetomzone) March 28, 2022

Judd Apatow saying that slap “could’ve killed” Chris Rock is so fucking funny lmfao he’s Will Smith not One Punch Man

— nat “cops break laws to terrorize/intimidate” puff (@LeftAtLondon) March 28, 2022

I can’t get over Judd Apatow claiming Will Smith could have killed Chris Rock. For a small slap! It’s the world’s greatest reach but it’s not a reach to say it’s exactly this logic which exaggerates the danger of black people and leads to fatal policing and longer sentences

— Jason Okundaye (@jasebyjason) March 28, 2022

im with judd apatow i think he could have k*lled him. i think he also could have hugged him. he could have also brought him a sandwich. one of them could have been rick from rick and morty and the other one could be morty from rick and morty. loads of stuff could happen

— Alita: Battle Angel stan account (@punished_picnic) March 28, 2022

According to Judd Apatow, Will Smith has so much raw power that he could have easily slain Chris Rock with a single slap to the face pic.twitter.com/e7Tl7YynGI

— Colin (@IntroSpecktive) March 28, 2022

Many also noted that Apatow's condemnation of Smith's slap stood in stark contrast to how Apatow had defended accused abusers James Franco and Lena Dunham.

Apatow's tweet was later deleted, but it will live on in public memory, at least until another incendiary tweeter replaces Apatow as the site's main character.