Will Smith hits Chris Rock, Beyonce sings

Hollywood’s biggest night returned with stars, spectacle and plenty of surprises.

After last year’s reduced ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oscars returned Sunday to Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre. Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes earned fair reviews for their joint hosting work – coming off three years of ceremonies that had no host – while the Academy’s decision to present multiple technical awards off camera continued to be roundly panned on social media.

“Dune” led the night with the most wins: six including best cinematography and best score. “CODA” triumped in the best picture category, after a neck and neck race with “The Power of the Dog,” which took only one award for best director (Jane Campion). But all eyes were onChris Rock and Will Smith’s onstage rift.

Here are more of the most shocking, poignant and downright delightful moments from the 2022 Oscars:

‘This is just a wild night’:Social media is stunned about Will Smith smacking Chris Rock

Will Smith confronts Chris Rock as he presents the award for best documentary feature.

Chris Rock gets slapped by Will Smith after making a harsh joke about Jada Pinkett Smith

The moment everyone will be talking about from the Oscars for weeks and months to come: While introducing the award for best documentary feature (won by Questlove’s “Summer of Soul”), Chris Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who suffers from alopecia and was rocking a shaved head to the event.

“Jada, I love you; ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it,” Rock made a joke about Pinkett Smith, and Pinkett Smith laughed. Smith proceeded to storm on stage and smack Rock, and was seen mouthing “Keep my wife’s name out of your (expletive) mouth.” Rock was visibly startled by the altercation, but still wisecracked, “That was the greatest night in the history of television.”

Will Smith tearfully apologizes to the Academy, fellow nominees during an uncomfortable best actor speech

Anticipation was high for the announcement of the best actor award, which Smith was expected to win. Smith was tearful and anxious throughout the fraught speech, which should have been a joyous moment.

“I want to apologize to the Academy,” Smith said, not long after his heated encounter with Rock. “I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I’m not crying for winning an award. It’s not about winning an award for me. It’s about being able to shine a light on all of the people.”

Smith thanked the real-life Richard Williams, father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, whom he portrays in the film “King Richard.” His speech emphasized Richard’s role as a protector of his family, as he not so subtly drew parallels between his life and Richard’s.

“I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people,” Smith said. “I know to do what we do, you’ve got to be able to take abuse. You got to be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you got to be able to have people disrespecting you. And you got to smile and you got to pretend like that’s OK.”

‘Love will make you do crazy things’:Will Smith apologizes to Oscars after hitting Chris Rock onstage

Beyoncé opens the Oscars with a rousing tennis-themed performance of ‘Be Alive’ in Compton

The Dolby stage simply can’t contain the supernova that is Beyoncé, who in typically extravagant fashion, spilled her performance of Oscar-nominated original song “Be Alive” into the city of Los Angeles. Draped in diamonds and a feathered dress, the pop star opened the ceremony with her inspiring “King Richard” anthem, strutting across a sprawling lime-green tennis court and backed by dozens of dancers and musicians clad in similar shades of green.

Amy Schumer takes aim at Leonardo DiCaprio, Oscar movies

After an awkward and occasionally funny monologue split between the three hosts, Schumer came on stage early in the show for a short solo set in which she ruthlessly roasted this year’s nominated movies. Regarding tennis drama “King Richard,” Schumer joked, “After years of Hollywood ignoring women’s stories, this year we finally got a movie about the incredible Williams sisters’ … dad.” Moments later, she took a jab at the critically derided “Don’t Look Up,” a best picture nominee: “I guess the Academy members don’t look up reviews.”

She also earned shocked laughter with a dig at “Being the Ricardos,” a Lucille Ball biopic “without even a moment that’s funny,” Schumer said, as the camera cut away to smiling “Ricardos” stars Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem. But she reserved her sharpest jab for Leonardo DiCaprio, deadpanning, “He’s done so much to fight climate change and leave behind a cleaner, greener planet for his girlfriends. Because he’s older. And they’re younger. OK, you get it.”

Megan Thee Stallion (center) was a surprise guest with Becky G (left) and Luis Fonsi (right) on "We Don't Talk About Bruno."

Megan Thee Stallion raps about ‘Bruno’ in surprise appearance

Just when you thought you’ve heard all there is of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” – the hit track from Disney’s animated “Encanto” that spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart – rapper Megan Thee Stallion brought a fresh spin to the song at Sunday’s show. The Grammy-winning best new artist made a surprise appearance during the first live performance of the song with a brand new verse, as singers Becky G and Luis Fonsi also hopped on the unconventional remix, which left many fans confused with its Oscar-themed lyrics.

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