Honestly, I am in shock right now as I watch in real time – I always randomly wake up around 3am – as social media ignites over Will Smith apparently slapping Chris Rock with an open hand on global television.
SCENARIO: Comedian Chris Rock makes a joke regarding Jada Pinket Smith’s shaved head and says he’s looking forward to to seeing her in G.I Jane 2 – a reference to a film made by Demi Moore in 1997. Jada has documented on her award-winning Meta/Facebook hit, Red Table Talk, and on her socials that she has struggled with hair loss.
Will then jumped on stage, hit Rock and continues to shout full expletives at Rock from his seat in the front row.
So in these scenarios my thoughts always run to the publicity and management teams first as they will go into full crisis mode. This behaviour is a complete antithesis to the Will Smith brand meticulously built over decades. It is inevitable that as we speak damage control is being pulled together.
At the point of writing, Will has won in his category and made reference to the incident in his acceptance speech but there are still hurdles to cover in the coming hours as this story unfolds.
THE NEXT 48 HOURS AND BEYOND: Here’s what we may see in the next 48 hours.
Post show awards interview
I personally feel Will has to do these but not without guidance from his team. To avoid this space leaves a vacuum for speculation and further erodes his Oscar win. Press are likely to be asked not to ask questions relating to the incident – though they will – and Will will have to advise he’s only willing to talk about the film at this point. The team will need time to plan a cohesive response. Even if he is only there for minutes, he must show up. If he does choose not to attend, a holding statement must be issued in his absence and immediately.
A public statement
Given time to evaluate the circumstances, the team must come up with a written short statement, apologising to The Academy again, most certainly denouncing the use of violence. This must certainly be done within the next few hours. In these scenarios short and factual statements are the only way to go. Further displays of emotion should be kept to a minimum.
The other stakeholders
Will’s publicist should immediately be in touch with The Academy press team, the representatives for the Williams family and possibly Chris’s team.
The Academy connection is to save further upset by keeping them updated on their next steps. It’s also to understand what The Academy plans to do post the incident because everything is in play here: From issuing a statement themselves to revoking the win.
With the Williams family, Will has consistently said that their approval is everything and in this instance they too will now be embroiled in this incident. The publicist will need to share their plans and the Williams too will have a holding statement at best or a no comment at least.
PRs have their own networks, even more so in Hollywood. Whilst whatever is to transpire between the two actors is not necessarily going to happen in public, Will’s team may get some indication of what the next steps will be. I wouldn’t be surprised if Chris Rock does a full press tour. He recently just announced a tour with Kevin Hart so this story will endure not only over the next couple of days but will resurge next year when the Oscars returns and probably during Rock’s tour especially if he uses it for content.
A statement to fans via social media
Fans are going to want to see the whites of Will’s eyes and whilst he can give press a written statement, his ongoing direct engagement of fans via social media gives him the opportunity to connect. I would expect a to-camera statement done in an authentic way only Will can do with the wording carefully considered as it’s likely to be picked up by press too. Will can afford to be somewhat candid here in his tone but the message must be in keeping with everything else.
Absolutely no Red Table Talk
Under no circumstances should there be a special edition of Red Table Talk as it could be viewed as a crass commercial way of addressing the issue. Discussing the subject on RTT would devalue the brands significantly.
An acknowledgement of the win from Jada
The Smiths are social media mavens, really embracing the tool to engage audiences in a different medium compared to the one they’re typical known for, film and music. It’s likely a post re: Will’s win would have been pre-prepared. A static photo acknowledging the win and supporting her huband without direct comment to incident is key.
Could charges be filed?
Will has openly committed an assault and so contingency plans will need to be put in place as there is a possibility of charges being brought against him. If that is the case, you’re likely to see short statements advising of “full cooperation”.
Stop talking
Beyond this, unless something significant happens, Will then needs to stop talking. Most scenarios can be dealt with via statement but nothing else should be said to allow the story to run its course.
In the end…
This is a game changer for Will. I think enough people love him that the memory will fade but not forgotten. It is a shame considering his history but not something that is irreparable to be honest from a brand point of view. Sure there will be a few disappointed people, he may lose some fans but I also think some will buy into the apparent chivalry, an authentic video and a moment to get over it all.
It’ll be interesting to see it all unfold…
