(The Hill) – Comedic actor Jim Carrey isn’t laughing at the viral moment when Will Smith struck Chris Rock at Sunday’s Academy Awards, saying on Monday that Smith should have been arrested for doing so.
In a “CBS Mornings” interview with Gayle King, the “Ace Ventura” star said Smith should be facing more serious consequences for taking to the stage and slapping Rock after the comedian cracked a joke about Smith’s wife.
After King made a comment that anyone else who pulled that stunt would have been escorted out of the venue or even arrested, Carrey responded, “He should have been.”
Rock has declined to file charges against Smith, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
“He doesn’t want the hassle,” Carrey said of Rock’s decision. He noted he would have opted for a different approach.
“I’d have announced this morning that I was suing Will for 200 million dollars because that video is going to be there forever. It’s going to be ubiquitous,” Carrey told King. “That insult is gonna last a very long time.”
Smith’s slap heard around the world has divided entertainment and political figures, with some cheering the move and others slamming it as an unnecessary act of violence.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Monday condemned Smith’s behavior, announcing a “formal review” of the incident.
Smith has since issued a public apology.