James Corden: Will Smith ‘can’t take a joke’ and Chris Rock ‘can take a punch’

Corden also put a topical twist on ‘We Need to Talk About Bruno’

James Corden has accused Will Smith of not being able to “take a joke” after he slapped comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars.

Speaking on his The Late Late Show, Corden directly addressed the controversy from the Oscars where Smith slapped Rock after he made a joke about his wife’s appearance.

“I’ll say this, Will Smith can’t take a joke,” Corden said.

He went on to praise how Rock handled the incident: “Seriously though, I applaud Chris Rock for recovering, keeping the show moving. It was an incredibly dignified response.”

The Cinderella star also joked, “Chris Rock can take a punch. A steel jaw. Unbelievable!"

Corden joked about losing bets on other actors having a confrontation: “I mean, the whole incident threw me off in a huge way, also completely ruined my chances in the Oscar pool. I had Dame Judi Dench smacking Woody Harrelson.”

Corden later parodied the incident later in the show by singing, “We don’t talk about Jada, no, no, no,” to the tune of the hit song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Disney’s Oscar-winning Encanto.

Numerous other celebrities have criticised the way Smith handled the joke which made reference to Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head, which is a result of her alopecia.

Oscars co-host Amy Schumer said the incident “traumatised” her, while Jim Carrey said that Smith should have been “arrested”.

Find the full list of 2022 Oscar winners here. See the latest updates and reactions from the dramatic ceremony here, and read about the biggest talking points here.