Of course he didn’t miss the joke. A week following the far-reaching slap in the face at the Oscars, moderator Trevor Noah (38) – a South African with Swiss roots – opened this year’s Grammy Gala with an allusion to Will Smith’s far-reaching freak: “Today we will listen to music, dance, sing, letting people’s names out of our mouths and giving out awards.”
Actor Will Smith (53) slapped comedian Chris Rock (57) on stage following he made a joke regarding Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett (50). After that, Smith, who later won the Oscar for best actor for his role in “King Richard”, had shouted twice more from his seat: “Keep my wife’s name out of your damn mouth!”
It wasn’t the only joke at Smith’s expense. LeVan Burton (65) alluded to the incident when he announced comedian Nate Bargatze (43): “I would like to warn you all that our next presenter is a comedian. So I have to warn everyone: stay in your seats and keep your hands to yourself.” Said comedian then took the stage with a helmet – “for protection during the jokes”.
Three Grammys for the grieving Foo Fighters
Drummer Questlove (51) also responded to Smith’s slap when he presented the Grammy for song of the year: “All right, I will present this award and I trust that you will stay 150 meters away from me. It is said that it is better to give than to take.”
The Grammys were awarded for the 64th time this year. The gala was originally planned for January 31, but was then postponed due to the rapid spread of the highly infectious omicron variant of the corona virus. Around 13,000 members of the Recording Academy decide on the winners of the Grammys, which are among the most coveted music awards in the world.
This year’s winners included Olivia Rodrigo (19, “Best New Artist”, “Best Pop Album”, “Best Pop Performance”) and the Foo Fighters. The band around frontman Dave Grohl (53) won three Grammys – just ten days following the sudden death of drummer Taylor Hawkins († 50) in a hotel room in Bogota (Colombia).
Selenski: “We want to be as free as you are on the Grammy stage”
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (44) also made an appearance. He asked for support for his country via video message. “What might be more antithetical to music than war?” Zelenski said via video message at the event in Las Vegas, which was broadcast live on US television. “Fill the silence with your music,” Ukraine’s president asked. “Support us in any way you can.”
He dreams that people in the embattled Ukrainian cities might live freely once more – “as freely as you do on the Grammy stage”. After that, US singer John Legend sang a song dedicated to Ukraine together with Ukrainian musicians. In the run-up to the Oscars gala the previous weekend, stars had demanded that Selenski be added, but nothing came of it. (kin)
