Will Jimmy Kimmel Handle Will Smith Slap?

No avoiding it? Jimmy Kimmel is already making ready to host the 2023 Oscars — and he’s fairly certain the notorious Will Smith slap will nonetheless be the speak of the night time.

“It’s received to come back up indirectly,” the late-night host, 55, instructed Further shortly after being introduced because the emcee of the ninety fifth annual Academy Awards. “, I don’t wish to actually make mild of it essentially, as a result of it wasn’t [light] to comedians. , comedians are mad about it. … It’s like, it’s a kind of issues that for a gaggle of folks that discover all the things humorous, it’s, like, not humorous, you realize? However after all … once they learn the incorrect winner one yr once I hosted the Oscars, we needed to make point out of that the following yr.”

Kimmel has hosted the awards present twice earlier than: first in 2017 and once more in 2018. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway incorrectly introduced La La Land as one of the best image winner on the 2017 ceremony — the trophy ended up going to Moonlight — and the flub was the most-talked about second of the night time.

When he returned to the Oscars the next yr, the Brooklyn native didn’t shrink back from poking enjoyable on the mistake. “This yr, if you hear your identify known as, don’t stand up straight away. Simply give us a minute,” he teased throughout his monologue. “We don’t need one other factor.”

The Jimmy Kimmel Reside! host continued: “What occurred final yr was unlucky, and I’ve not instructed this story in public as a result of I wished to put it aside for tonight. However right here’s what occurred. That is true. Final yr, a few week earlier than the present, the producers requested me if I wished to do some comedy with the accountants. And I stated, ‘No, I don’t wish to do comedy with the accountants.’ So, then the accountants went forward and did comedy on their very own. And I’ve handy it to them, it was hilarious. Nevertheless it received’t occur once more.”

Final yr, the Academy Awards had been hosted by a trio of A-list girls: Amy Schumer, Regina Corridor and Wanda Sykes. Nonetheless, their funniest bits had been overshadowed after Smith, 54, stormed the stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock throughout the face. The Madagascar star, 57, had simply completed telling a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith‘s buzzed haircut when the Recent Prince of Bel-Air alum shouted, “Preserve my spouse’s identify out your f–king mouth!”

Smith went on to win one of the best actor trophy later that night time for his efficiency in King Richard, and he issued a public apology to Rock someday after the ceremony. In April, the Will writer resigned from the Academy of Movement Image Arts and Sciences and was banned from any Oscars-related occasions for the following 10 years.

Regardless of the surprising drama, ABC exec Craig Erwich was happy with the 2022 awards present. “My evaluation of the Oscars was that it was actually a profitable yr for the present,” he instructed Deadline in Might. “Clearly there was lots of controversy, which overshadowed lots of the constructive issues concerning the present, however I used to be actually pleased with this system. Even earlier than that very unlucky second, the present began off up yr over yr, and we got here again in an enormous manner.”

Kimmel, for his half, sparked backlash after the 2022 Emmy Awards in September when he performed lifeless on stage as Quinta Brunson accepted considered one of her two historic wins. The Abbott Elementary star, 32, received each Excellent Writing for a Comedy Collection and Excellent Lead Actress in a Comedy Collection. When it comes time for the Oscars subsequent March, the comic could depart the pranks behind.

“I’ll be standing [when I host],” he instructed Further. “I’ve realized my lesson. I’ll be standing. Actually, I’m going to put on lifts.”