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Benedict Cumberbatch admits he thought Will Smith Oscars 'slap' was fake

29 April 2022, 08:30

Benedict Cumberbatch opens up on that Will Smith moment at the Oscars

Naomi Bartram

By Naomi Bartram

Joining Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden, Benedict Cumberbatch has spoken about that Oscars moment.

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Benedict Cumberbatch has opened up about the moment he saw Will Smith slap Chris Rock at the Oscars.

At this year’s Academy Awards, presenter Chris poked fun at Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia, which led Will to get on stage and hit him.

He then went on to shout: “Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth!,” which was met by some gasps from the audience.

And Benedict has now said he thought the entire thing was set up.

Speaking to Heart Breakfast’s Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden, Benedict - who was also at the award ceremony - admitted he was ‘really confused’.

Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars. Picture: Getty Images

He said: “I thought it was a gag, I didn’t really know what was going on.

“I didn’t see the contact, I just saw the reaction and I’ve done stunts on camera and I thought they’ve just sold it.”

The star added: “There was silence for a bit, then he said what he said when he got back to the chair and the temperature just dropped out of the room.”

Benedict visited the studio to chat to Jamie and Amanda about his brand new film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is out next Thursday (5 May).

The movie is based on the Marvel superhero of the same name and is a sequel to Doctor Strange, Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision and Spider-Man: No Way Home, as well as crossing over with the first season of Loki.

Benedict Cumberbatch is back in his role as Doctor Strange
Benedict Cumberbatch is back in his role as Doctor Strange. Picture: Alamy

Meanwhile, it could be good news for Sherlock fans, as Benedict hinted he might return to the role.

When Jamie asked if he’d ever make another film, the actor said: “I would say it’s about everyone wanting to do it and having the right time to do it and it being good enough to do.

“Never say never, there’s a lot of other stuff going on in my life, we’ll see, as a team we’ve said if it’s right we’ll do it.”

You can watch the full chat in the player above.

Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden, 6:30am - 10am weekdays on Heart

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