And the winner for Best Drama at the Academy Awards goes to Will Smith.

The normally genial actor got up out of his seat and smacked — actually smacked — comedian and presenter Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Rock jested he can’t wait to see Jada in G.I. Jane 2, a reference to her bald head. Seems harmless enough, until you realize Pinkett-Smith suffers from alopecia, an auto-immune condition that causes rapid hair loss.

Smith — long considered one of Hollywood’s nice guys — lost it. After smacking Rock, he returned to his seat, and continued cursing the comedian, demonstrating this was no act.

“Keep my wife’s name out of your ******* mouth!” he kept shouting.

“I will,” replied Rock.

Smith Then Wins Best Actor Oscar

Then, because real life is better than most anything Hollywood is scripting these days, Smith would later win his first Oscar for Best Actor for King Richard. He tearfully apologized for his actions, and managed to joke that, like the man he portrayed, Richard Williams, “Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father.”

Added Smith: “Love will make you do crazy things.”

"Love will make you do crazy things."

Will Smith offers a tearful apology after hitting Chris Rock on stage for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/ylDSgOAbFW

— Mediaite (@Mediaite) March 28, 2022

Several stars, including Bradley Cooper, Tyler Perry and Denzel Washington came up to comfort Smith after his outburst.

Sean “Puffy” Combs, who came on right after the incident, spoke to both men, the New York Post is reporting, and Smith and Rock “agreed to make amends” last night. Rock’s not pressing charges, and even joked, “That was the greatest night in the history of television.”

But we leave the last word to Denzel Washington. According to Smith, Denzel told him, “At your highest moment, be careful, because that’s when the devil comes for you.”

That proved true last night for Will Smith. On the night of his greatest professional triumph, the enemy got in a sucker punch.

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream, chief barista for The Brew and co-author, with John Zmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl at GETTR, Gab, Parler, and real soon at TRUTH Social.