TMZ.com Home

Will Smith certainly hijacked the Oscars by smacking Chris Rock in the face, but the question ... was he justified??? You be the judge.

Jake Paul wants in on the Will Smith vs. Chris Rock feud -- the YouTuber-turned-fighter is offering both actors $15 MILLION to take their beef to the boxing ring!!

Shortly after the slap heard around the world went down at the Oscars, "Impractical Jokers" star Sal Vulcano joked about how much the Most Valuable Promotions founder would cough up to get both legends in the ring for an epic event for the ages.

The 25-year-old fighter -- who previously offered Pete Davidson and Kanye West $30 milli each to face off in the ring -- delivered on his new proposition late Sunday night ... claiming he already has $30 million set aside for a Smith vs. Rock bout.

"I got $15m for Will Smith and $15m for Chris Rock ready to go," Paul tweeted ... adding he already has a date in mind.

"Let’s do it in August on my undercard."

FYI -- The biggest Pay-per-view ever is 4.6 million buys for Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao in 2015.

A Will vs. Chris fight would undoubtedly be successful, but don't hold your breath on it ever happening -- after all, both guys have all the money in the world and it would be quite the height/weight disadvantage for Rock ... but Jake's got the financial backing to make it happen.

Will Smith's got people in his corner following his on-camera altercation with Chris Rock ... getting a big hug from Trevor Noah at the Vanity Fair after-party, having a long, and private, conversation.

Will was still emotional when he got to the party Sunday night in Bev Hills, taking pictures with tears in his eyes ... which is when Trevor came up to the Best Actor winner.

They embraced for quite a while -- more than 1 minute -- clearly trying to have a conversation over the loud music blaring in the room. When it was all said and done, they smiled at each other and posed for some photos.

There's no doubt what they were discussing for so long ... Will slapped Chris Rock after his "G.I. Jane 2" jab at Jada Pinkett Smith.

The crowd, and even Chris, was stunned ... things got more real after Will continued to shout "Keep my wife's name out your f****** mouth" from his seat.

Trevor tweeted after the slap heard, and seen, 'round the world ... saying, "Wtaf????? That wasn’t scripted?????"

Safe to say he had some questions, and maybe got them answered when he and Will hugged.

Will went to the after-party with the whole family surrounding him -- Jada, daughter Willow, and sons Trey and Jaden.

Will Smith's slap heard-round-the-world seems to have Hollywood kinda split on whether it was right or wrong -- but there's one person who's firmly in the guy's corner ... his son.

The entire world seems to have reacted to Will's violent behavior, and celebrities are no exception -- with several high-profile stars weighing in online ... and some even defending WS and Jada Pinkett by extension, including Nicki Minaj.

The rapper had a lot of thoughts on the matter, writing ... "You just got to witness in real time what happens in a man’s soul when he looks over to the woman he loves & sees her holding back tears from a “little joke” at her expense. This is what any & every real man feels in that instant. while y’all seeing the joke he’s seeing her pain."

She adds, "Imagine what it must feel like to be losing your hair to the point where you have to shave it bald. You think that’s easy to deal with for anyone?"

So, clearly ... Nicki is team Will/Jada. But, there are far more who condemned the assault -- including Judd Apatow, who was emphatic. Judd wrote, "He could have killed him. That's pure out of control rage and violence. They've heard a million jokes about them in the last three decades. They are not freshmen in the world of Hollywood and comedy. He lost his mind."

Others seemed to be either baffled or amused by what had occurred ... Billy Eichner, Jodie and Conan O'Brien fall into that category. But, the most telling response came from Will and Jada's own flesh and blood.

Jaden Smith sounded off in the aftermath, writing ... "And That's How We Do It," apparently co-signing what his old man had just done.

It would also seem that Jada herself appreciated Will getting up there -- because as soon as the broadcast went to break ... a photo shows Chris Rock leaning down from the stage trying to talk to both of them, with none other than Denzel Washington standing in between them.

In the pic, you can see Will and Jada holding hands ... appearing to put on a united front.

There's also a lot of chatter today about "toxic masculinity" and whether Will is a personification of that. Many feel he is, but there seems to be an opposing group who say he was simply doing what a good partner/man should do to defend his woman.

You can't write this s*** ... Will Smith just won the award for best actor -- tears streaming down his face as he stood to address the crowd -- and sharing a message of love just moments after smacking Chris Rock.

Smith opened by saying Serena and Venus' father, Richard Williams -- who he played in "King Richard" -- was a fierce defender of his family.

Of course, he was alluding to the smack ... but continued, "I'm being called on in my life to love people and to protect people, and to be a river to my people. I know to do what we do, you gotta be able to take abuse, have people talk crazy about you."

He then talked about having to face disrespect, even while people "talk crazy about you."

During the commercial break, just after the smack, Will was pulled aside by Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry. Will says Denzel told him, "That was your highest moment, be careful, that's when the devil comes for you."

Interestingly enough, Will said he wants to be a vessel for love -- even though he smacked Chris.

Will never apologized to Rock, saying, "I want to apologize to The Academy and my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I'm not crying for winning an award, it's not about winning an award for me. It's about being able to shine a light on all of the people."

As we reported, Will got up on stage and smacked Chris after the comedian cracked a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's short hair. She's been open about her hair loss struggles in the past.

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott were quick to decide baby Wolf's name wasn't right for their newborn son ... but to legally change a name ain't as easy as you'd think.

As we reported, Kylie announced earlier this week she and Travis were changing Wolf's name because, "We just really didn't feel like it was him." However, the process to actually get it done can take weeks, if not months from start to finish.

Here's the process ...

- First, Kylie and Travis will need to file a petition for a name change, and something like this is routinely approved by a judge -- in this case, an L.A. County Superior Court judge. The only real basis to deny a name change is if the new name was designed to be used to defraud or deceive, and that's clearly not the case here.

- Once the judge puts his/her John Hancock on the petition, it's sent up to Sacramento and processed by the state. It usually takes 6-8 weeks. Looks like lots of people are unhappy with their name.

- The state will then amend the birth certificate to reflect the new name.

Of course, there was recently another significant name change in the family -- when (former) baby Wolf's uncle Kanye West changed his name to Ye. That process took almost 2 months to complete ... so with patience comes great change.

Kodak Black is headed overseas to make bank, but in asking permission to do so ... he told the judge he plans to donate a big chunk of his earnings to charity.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kodak says he needs to travel to Dubai to perform a concert next month and make some paid appearances as well.

In the docs, which the court approved, Kodak says he'd be in Dubai from March 28 to April 3 ... adding he'd be traveling with his security team and music producer.

In his motion to travel for work purposes, Kodak points out he's been allowed to travel domestically for work and claims he's been keeping his nose clean lately.

Kodak stated if he were given permission, he plans to donate 10% of his earnings in Dubai to charity.

The rapper's attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... a prominent businessman invited Kodak to Dubai for paid appearances at jewelers, nightclubs and exotic car dealerships, plus a concert.

Kodak's attorney says his client already picked out where he wants to donate at least some of his Dubai earnings ... the college funds of the children of 2 Pennsylvania State Troopers who were recently killed by a suspected drunk driver. Cohen says he's reached out to the PA State Police Association to try and set up a donation.

Ozzie Guillen absolutely loathes the idea of an automated strike zone in the MLB ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks robot umps are "the worst thing I've ever heard in my life."

The former Chicago White Sox manager went in on the idea when we asked him this week about the potential rule change -- saying he has no clue how it'd make the game better.

"I hope [the rule change] happens after I die," Guillen said, "because I'll be very, very vocal about it."

The MLB is considering the move down the road -- after it implemented automated strike zones for the 2022 Triple-A season.

The idea is that if it goes well in the minor leagues, it could eventually end up replacing humans behind the plate one day in The Show -- and make a more uniform ball-and-strike zone there.

Guillen, though, said it's a slap in the face to the current umps ... and he also doesn't understand how a computer could do a better job than a human who's standing just inches away from the pitches.

"Whoever came up with this idea never played the game," Guillen said. "Never played Little League baseball games."

Guillen is in favor of adding one rule back to the game ... telling us he'd like to see more roughness come back. He explained he's hoping the league will allow hard slides into second base and into home plate again eventually.

As for if Guillen will ever manage again -- he said he's hopeful after getting an interview with the San Diego Padres last year that a team will give him another shot.

Lil Xan seems to be doing a whole lot better ... cause TMZ has learned he is out of a psych ward and working on his mental health at a rehab center.

Sources close to Xan tell TMZ, he initially checked himself into a hospital and was 51/50'd after experiencing a mixture of exhaustion, dehydration and depression from things he was seeing online ... all of which, he says, began to take a toll on him and his mental health and well-being.

We're told, overall, he felt like he needed a break, and he wanted to go somewhere to help with his mental health and help him disconnect from social media.

He even let folks know about his frustration Wednesday, when he posted a photo from what appears to be a hospital bed. He wrote, "please stop speaking about me if you don't know me, I'm a human being just like you."

Were told, he spent 3 days in the psych ward, before he was moved to a part of the facility focused on mental health. He was given the green light to leave the psych ward after being deemed harmless to himself or others.

As you may know, the rapper's been struggling with drug addiction for quite some time. We spoke to him at the start of the pandemic ... when he started on his journey to sobriety. He told us, quarantine really helped him turn things around for the better.

Ohio born comedian and actress Molly Shannon was 34 years old when she took on the role of Mary Katherine Gallagher -- an awkward catholic high school girl hoping to achieve her dreams of dating the school's popular boy and winning the school talent show -- in the 1999 'SNL' spin-off film "Superstar."

Shannon shared the big screen with quite an impressive cast including Elaine Hendrix as the popular cheerleader, Evian, Glynis Johns as Mary's loving devout, Grandma, Harland Williams as Mary's BF, Slater ... and of course Will Ferrell as the popular boy and dreamy Jesus, Sky Corrigan.

The 94th Academy Awards are coming to a close, and while Will Smith definitely stole the show -- for all the wrong reasons -- the show was actually going swimmingly beforehand.

The Dolby Theater was chock-full of stars who were dressed to the nines Sunday night -- and as Oscar statuettes started to get dolled out ... the hugs and selfies started to roll in as well.

One example of such love was between Best Supporting Actress winner Ariana DeBose and her fellow nominee, Jessie Buckley ... the latter of whom seemed to be giving the 'West Side Story' star her props for walking away with the W, which everyone thinks is well-deserved.

Ditto for when Troy Kotsur won for Best Supporting Actor for his work on 'CODA' ... his table was elated for him -- as was the rest of the audience as he delivered a rousing speech in ASL.

Some other highlights that were happening behind the scenes ... Venus and Serena Williams were posing with each other, and just about everyone else who wanted a pic. It was a big night for them -- especially seeing how Will Smith was up for the top prize, which he ended up winning.

Of course, things took a dark turn when Will smacked Chris Rock across the face after he made a crack about Jada Pinkett's shaved head ... which led to an awkward moment therafter.

Still, it was a pretty feel-good vibe before all that ... as evidenced in all the hobnobbing that was going on down in the seats and backstage.

The Ukrainian war is certainly top of mind for just about everybody these days -- but, for some reason, the Academy Awards apparently decided to kinda gloss over the issue.

We're almost two hours into the broadcast, and so far ... there's been minimal mention of the conflict in Europe, save for a brief moment when Mila Kunis came on to introduce Reba McEntire, who performed 'Somehow You Do,' which is up for Best Original Song.

Before tossing it to Reba, Mila said ... "Recent global events have left many of us feeling gutted. Yet, when you witness the strength and dignity of those facing such devastation, it's impossible to not be moved by their resilience."

She added, "One cannot help but be in awe of those who find strength to keep fighting through unimaginable darkness." MK then said Reba's song was a testament to that, but strangely enough ... she nor anyone else on stage ever said the words "Ukraine" or "Russia."

That's a bit bizarre ... especially considering that Mila herself is Ukrainian, and has been raising a lot of money lately for the cause.

After the performance, the Oscars held a moment of silence with some title cards that spoke directly to Ukraine. Their message read, in part, "While film is in an important avenue to express our humanity in times of conflict, the reality is millions of families in Ukraine need food, medical care, clean water, and emergency services," calling on the world to do more.

A crypto ad then played right afterward giving folks a website to chip in -- but they refrained from showing any images of the war or the devastation.

This is an interesting choice ... you'll recall, Amy Schumer actually floated the idea of having Volodymyr Zelensky beam in to say a few words -- but it doesn't sound like they went for her idea.

Rather than fully lean in like she suggested ... it seems, so far, that they're doing the exact opposite ... steering relatively clear of Ukraine talk. Of course, there's still a long way to go -- so perhaps they'll have a more robust show of support later in the telecast.

This year's Oscars got off to a great start -- with Beyonce leading the charge with a musical number that wasn't even in the building ... and a little help from her kid.

Venus and Serena Williams were the first faces we saw Sunday as the telecast got underway from within the Dolby Theater in DTLA, with the two super star athletes immediately tossing things to Bey ... who did a live performance of her song 'Be Alive,' and doing so from a tennis court in Compton.

This is where Serena and Venus got their start when they first learning the sport, which they alluded to in their comments. And to mark the special occasion, the entire court was draped in lime green covers ... as was Beyonce and the rest of her dance troupe.

The catchy tune is featured in the Oscar-nominated film 'King Richard,' which tells the story of Serena and Venus' father, Richard Williams ... who was portrayed by a stellar Will Smith. Of course, 'Be Alive' itself is up for Best Original Song ... which explains Bey's appearance.

She wasn't the only one from the Carter-Knowles family that was on the court though -- young Blue Ivy herself was also on hand. Indeed, that was her dancing down in front with the sunglasses on ... seems they were trying to keep her presence low-key.

She was spotted nonetheless, and based on how well she was moving ... BI might just have a future job as a dancer. Lucky for her, mom and dad are always in need -- so she'll probably always have a slot booked.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's rocky roller coaster finally hit calm waters -- because they were finally able to be in each other's company ... albeit, for the sake of their kid.

The former couple was shoulder to shoulder this weekend -- the first time in a long time, especially amid all the nasty fighting that's been going on -- taking in their son Saint's soccer game in L.A. ... with mama bear, papa bear and his sister, North, watching from the sideline.

It's a somewhat startling sight, but a more than welcome one ... frankly, things have been nasty of late between these two -- so the fact they could come together like this is major.

As you can see, Ye was filming Saint play while Kim and North looked on attentively. At one point, Kanye crouched down and seemed pleased with what he was seeing on the field -- yep, he was in super dad mode here ... no doubt about it.

There was video taken of the scene as well, and although Kim and Kanye certainly shared the same space within short proximity to one another ... they don't appear to have interacted a whole lot, beyond herding the group in and out of the park, that is.

Still, as we said ... it's a huge step forward in their co-parenting relationship. Ye has been complaining a lot in recent weeks about custody issues -- alleging he hasn't been able to see all of the kids as much as he wants ... while Kim has claimed the exact opposite, saying he sees them whenever he wants. Now, it seems they're finally on the same page.

BTW, no sign of Pete Davidson anywhere here ... which is probably for the best. Something tells us KW still hasn't warmed up to him -- so no blending of families/partners just yet.

The Man of Steel might actually be the Man of Snooze -- at least that's what one comic nerd thinks ... but they're getting drowned out by a swarm of fanboys who beg to differ.

A Twitter user that goes by "brandon" threw out a bit of a fireball of an opinion this weekend about good old Kal-El and his ability to titillate, writing ... "lmk if this is bad take but superman is an extremely boring superhero."

Well, the internet let him know ... and with fervor to spare. Superman lovers far and wide swooped in to defend their guy in tights, vehemently rejecting the idea he's a killjoy or a bore ... and they seem to have the evidence to back it up.

First off, some pointed out that Clark Kent is actually super relatable ... and in many instances, just like us when it comes to earthly matters -- especially in the embarrassing/overbearing parents department.

Others pointed to the source material in debunking Supes's alleged boring streak -- citing the very many comics and subsequent stories that have been written/drawn detailing his wild adventures. A handful of the ones a few felt would make Superman's case ... "Secret Identity," "Superman: Up in the Sky," "All-Star Superman," "Superman: Earth One" and more.

Reading these alone, some argue, will prove the Last Son of Krypton is a complex character ... who has to deal with a lot, and most definitely NOT dull or dry as far as caped heroes go.

Of course, there are others who simply offer up the many animations that have been made about Superman ... including the fabled 'Superman: The Animated Series' from the '90s, which many consider some of the best Superman depictions to date.

Somebody even threw together a quick compilation of the multi-Emmy nominated program ... reinforcing Superman battles not just people he has to beat physically, but politically and psychologically. Case in point ... Lex Luthor is considered one the best big baddies ever, and he doesn't even have powers or anything. He gets under Superman's skin in other ways.

And, finally, there are the live action movies and TV shows themselves ... with actors like Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh, Tyler Hoechlin, Tom Welling, Dean Cain, Kirk Alyn and Henry Cavill ... who've all donned the red undies at one point or another, to much acclaim.

So yeah, boring might be a bit harsh ... as Twitter has clearly unanimously decided.

This year's Oscar nominees have nearly $140,000 in gifts at their fingertips -- but before they claim their loot ... they might wanna consider Uncle Sam, who'll want his cut.

Every year, actors who get a nod from the Academy are also afforded a sweet goodie bag that's worth a bundle -- and this year is no different, with marketing company Distinctive Assets offering up a ton of prizes that, if claimed in full, are valued at $137k and change.

The gifts up for grabs include everything from an all-expenses-paid trip to Scotland with a 3-night stay at a fancy castle ($50k), free construction for a home renovation ($25k), a comped 4-night visit to a luxury spa resort ($15k), a plot of land in the U.K. and a noble title, free lipo ($12k) ... among lots of other perks in the form of services/experiences, or pricey objects.

Might sound cringe -- indeed, it has sparked outrage for a variety of reasons -- but here's the kicker ... the more gifts they claim from the lot, the more they pay down the road.

Yep, we're talking about taxes here ... and all signs point to a hefty bill if a majority of these gifts are accepted and/or used. Everything the nominees claim will be viewed as taxable income -- and some experts speculate that they can be taxed at a rate of 50% or higher!

Of course, that probably isn't lost on the stars themselves ... who may not take up any of the offerings being presented. In fact, Distinctive Assets founder Lash Fary explains that just about $5,000 of the swag bag is made up of actual stuff they can take home ... the rest are services/trips. So, if a majority of the gifts go unclaimed, the bag isn't worth as much.

Still, the fact they're trotting out these gratuitously expensive carrots for the nominees at all -- something that's been going on for years, BTW -- has made some wonder... what's really important right now?