Comedians react with horror at Will Smith’s Oscar slap

By MARK KENNEDY
AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars provoked intense opinions online, especially from comedians who felt it was an assault on their art. Kathy Griffin wrote on Twitter that comedians have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters. Producer, director and actor Rob Reiner said “Will Smith owes Chris Rock a huge apology. There is no excuse for what he did.” Judd Apatow was highly critical of Smith in a now-deleted Twitter post, describing the attack “out of control rage and violence.”