Jim Carrey is sharing how he really feels about the Will Smith and Chris Rock incident at the Oscars.
The actor weighed in on the topic during a March 28 interview with Gayle King for CBS Mornings while promoting his new movie Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
"I was sickened by the standing ovation," Carrey said, appearing to reference the audience's reaction to Smith winning the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar for his performance in King Richard following his incident with Rock. "I felt like Hollywood is just spineless en masse and it really felt like, oh, this is a really clear indication that we're not the cool club anymore."
Before taking home the trophy, Smith slapped Rock onstage for a G.I. Jane joke the comedian made about Jada Pinkett Smith while presenting an award. The actress, who is married to Smith, has alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss. Afterwards Smith told Rock to, "Keep my wife's name out of your f--king mouth."
King said that some feel if anyone else had done that, they could have been escorted out by security or arrested. Carrey replied, "He should have been." According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Rock has declined to file a police report against Smith.
"He doesn't want the hassle," Carrey continued. "I'd have announced this morning that I was suing Will for $200 million because that video is going to be there forever. It's going to be ubiquitous. You know, that insult is gonna last a very long time."
The Bruce Almighty alum said he would have found it more acceptable to "yell" from the audience or tweet about one's "disapproval" of the show, but as he put it, "You do not have the right to walk up on stage and smack somebody in the face 'cause they said words."
When King said the incident "escalated to that level," Carrey disagreed. "It didn't escalate," he said. "It came out of nowhere because Will has something going on inside him that's frustrated. And I wish him the best, I really do. I don't have anything against Will Smith. He's done great things. But that was not a good moment."
Carrey also felt like the incident took the attention away from other Oscar winners. "It casts a pall over everybody's shining moment last night, you know?" he added. "A lot of people worked really hard to get to that place and to have their moment in the sun and to get their award for the really hard work they did."
He said "it was a selfish moment" on Smith's part to take away from the "feat" of the other winners.
Smith apologized to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and to his fellow nominees during his acceptance speech. He also apologized to Rock in a March 28 Instagram post.
"My behavior at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable," Smith wrote in part. "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."
The Academy said it "condemns the actions of Mr. Smith" at the award show and has "officially started a formal review around the incident." The Academy said it "will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law."
Rock has yet to publicly speak out about the incident. However, Pinkett Smith appeared to reference it in a March 29 Instagram post. "This is a season for healing," she wrote, "and I'm here for it."
E! News has reached out to Smith's rep for comment.
Keep scrolling for more reactions to Smith's Oscars outburst.
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Alec Baldwin: "I am not reading much about how, or even if, the producers attended to Chris. But I love you, @chrisrock . And I'm sorry the Oscars turned into the Jerry Springer show."
Michael Che: "Im just saying, im frankly disappointed that the academy would just let will smith PHYSICALLY ATTACK a man, onstage, just because he didnt like a joke!... After that childish overreaction, they hand this guy a trophy?!"
Zoe Kravitz: "here's a picture of my dress at the show where we are apparently assaulting people on stage now."
OJ Simpson: "It was unfortunate. I think Will was wrong. Look, I understood the feeling. In my life, I've been through a lot of crap, and I was raising two young kids, and every comedian in the country had an OJ routine, and don't think I wouldn't wanna slap a couple of those guys. But you gotta accept, it's humor. I didn't think that was all that egregious. I thought it was a semi-funny joke."
Thomas Haden Church: "I think that Will Smith should be banned from the Oscars for the rest of his life... I think he should have his Academy membership stripped, but I don't think he should have the Oscar taken from him."
Lamar Odom: "He loves his wife. I do not condone violence against anyone... would I have hit him?, NO but he did what a husband is called to do. Protect his wife, from anything and anyone who causes her pain. Had I protected my wife versus mentally, emotionally and spiritually hurting her, I may still be married."
Jim Carrey: "I was sickened by the standing ovation... I felt like Hollywood is just spineless en masse and it really felt like, oh, this is a really clear indication that we're not the cool club anymore... I'd have announced this morning that I was suing Will for $200 million because that video is going to be there forever. It's going to be ubiquitous. You know, that insult is gonna last a very long time."
Adam Sandler: "Can't wait for [Chris Rock's tour]. Love you buddy!"
Tiffany Haddish: "When I saw a Black man stand up for his wife. That meant so much to me…. As a woman, who has been unprotected, for someone to say, 'Keep my wife's name out your mouth, leave my wife alone,' that's what your husband is supposed to do, right? Protect you. And that meant the world to me. And maybe the world might not like how it went down, but for me, it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen because it made me believe that there are still men out there that love and care about their women, their wives."
Sophia Bush: "Violence isn't ok. Assault is never the answer. Also? This is the 2nd time that Chris has made fun of Jada on the #Oscars stage, & tonight he went after her alopecia. Punching down at someone's auto-immune disease is wrong. Doing so on purpose is cruel. They both need a breather."
Kathy Griffin: "Let me tell you something, it's a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a Comedian. Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters."
Rob Reiner: "Will Smith owes Chris Rock a huge apology. There is no excuse for what he did. He's lucky Chris is not filing assault charges. The excuses he made tonight were bulls--t."
Mia Farrow: "It was just a joke. Jokes are what Chris Rock does. Always has been edgy. This was a mild joke for him. And i love GI Jane."
Nicki Minaj: "I love Chris Rock. I don't think he would've made that joke had he known what Jada recently shared- but between him & the whole team @ the #Oscars you mean to tell me not ONE of y'all heard this woman just share this heartbreaking story? #ComeOnSon … Here's the thing… And this is such an AMAZING - EYE OPENING example of it… The husband gets a front row seat to his wife's pain… he's the 1 consoling her… drying her tears behind closed doors when those cameras go off. Social media has made ppl feel that these 'husbands' won't ever run into them in real life."
Cardi B: "At your highest moment …be careful that's when the devil tries to come for you."
Jamie Dornan: "What a fight, sorry, Night!"
Cheryl Burke: "I can't stop thinking about what we saw at the Oscars. I don't agree with making fun of a medical condition, but the way Will handled it wasn't ok. As a survivor of abuse, I think a leader of his stature should show kids, esp his own, how to handle conflict with love not fear."
Natasha Rothwell: "Never thought the La La land debacle would ever be eclipsed but here we are."
Trevor Noah: "Wtaf????? That wasn't scripted?????"
Maria Shriver: "We should never get to a place where we sit and watch a movie star hit someone on global television then, moments later, get a standing ovation while talking about love. #WillSmith #Oscars."
Margaret Joseph: "Wow so disappointed in Will Smiths behavior tonight. @chrisrock is a class act he handled himself with true professionalism . Amazing the way he kept it moving#Oscar."