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Will Smith SLAPGATE: Conspiracy theories claim Chris Rock was wearing FACE PAD during Oscars slap

One of the conspiracy theories suggests that Rock was wearing a face pad when he was slapped by Smith at the 2022 Oscars

The drama that went down at the 2022 Oscars revolving around Will Smith slapping Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife, actress Jada Pinkett-Smith has sparked multiple articles, news stories, opinions, and memes. Now conspiracy theories have landed in the mix around the slap gate incident that happened on Sunday, March 27.

One of the theories suggests that Rock was wearing a face pad when he was slapped by Smith. One tweet reads, "In 8k quality images you can see a pad on chris rocks cheek, yeah conspiracy theorists gonna go crazy with this one." One Facebook post says, "If you think the slap was real. Then why is Chris Rock wearing a prosthetic pad on his cheek? Plus his hands are behind his back and he leans forward. Fake fake fake. All for ratings."

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However, official images from the moment do not show any pad on Chris' face. As per Gizmodo, there are two likely possibilities. The first is that someone deliberately photoshopped the image to make it look like there's a prosthetic on Rock's face. The other, and perhaps more likely, possibility is that someone used an 'artificial intelligence' app in an attempt to get a better image. Apps like Remini allow people to 'scale up' an image, but unaware users can easily misunderstand how they work.

The other theory suggests that the fight was staged by Oscars sponsor Pfizer to boost interest in alopecia before it submitted its latest treatment for approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. One user tweeted, "Pfizer sponsored the Oscars last night and they have an alopecia drug coming out. Do you see the game yet?" Another said, "Rumor is Pfizer, who sponsored the Oscars, needed a BIG moment around Alopecia because they have a drug coming to market. So the slap was staged. If I hadn't witnessed the absolute corruption of the pharma industry in the past 2 years I'd think this was ridiculous. But now."

A third wrote, "Biotech and Pfizer sponsored the Oscars. Pfizer has a drug for Alopecia. Will Smith causes a scene over a joke about his wife’s hair. Now everyone is talking about Alopecia. Coincidence? I think not." Despite the tweets, the theory is nothing but a wild attempt to create a conspiracy with nothing to back it up. Though Arena, one of Pfizer's subsidiaries, is developing a treatment called etrasimod, it isn't merely an alopecia drug. As per Highsnobiety, it's an oral supplement being developed as a possible long-term treatment for immuno-inflammatory diseases.

The shocking slap gate incident saw Rock making a joke about Jada's bald head at the annual awards ceremony. The actress didn't look happy with the comment, and Smith walked onto the stage and slapped Rock for the quip about his wife, who suffers from alopecia. Later that night, he won his first Oscar for Best Actor for playing Richard Williams in 'King Richards'.

Smith issued an apology to Rock after the outrage against his violent act. His Instagram post read, "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness. I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us. I am a work in progress. Sincerely, Will."