Summer Of Soul producer says Will Smith and Chris Rock ‘stained’ the Oscars
Rock was also criticised for being ‘disrespectful’ about the documentary’s historic win.
Oscar-winning documentary maker Joseph Patel says Will Smith and Chris Rock “stained” the Oscars with their behaviour.
The producer said Smith’s actions were “selfish” but added Rock had been an “absolute f****** d***” for his incorrect description of his winning production team and the historic moment.
Summer Of Soul won the Oscar for best documentary feature at the 94th Academy Awards, and was produced by The Roots drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson alongside Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein.
The award was presented to the team by Rock, moments after he was slapped by Smith for a joke about the actor’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
But Patel said the behaviour of both men had “stained what should have been a beautiful moment for us.”
“What I didn’t hear in that moment walking to stage but was told of afterwards is what Chris Rock said when reading our name from the winner’s card,” he wrote in a Twitter thread.
“The winner is ‘Summer of Soul… Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson and… 4 white guys.’ WHAT IN THE ACTUAL F***?????”
He explained: “The reason that makes me SO SO VERY ANGRY is because I was so proud to be one of a handful of South Asians to have ever won an Oscar in the history of the award.
“I was ecstatic that I was the 3RD South Asian to win that night – after Riz and Aneil Karia won earlier in the night for The Long Goodbye.
“3 South Asians winning on the same night – that’s never happened before! And it’s meaningful! It’s history!
“I’m a big boy – I can take a joke. Comedians make jokes. But not in that moment. What a shitty, disrespectful thing to do.
“So I’m angry. Angry at Will Smith. Angry at Chris Rock. Angry for me. Angry for Ahmir. Angry for my fellow filmmakers.”
Patel added that he “didn’t have the stomach” to watch the ceremony back later.
“I probably never will. Thank you, Chris – You absolute f****** d***.
“What both Will AND Chris did really stained what should have been a beautiful moment for us.”
