Cedric The Entertainer Will Smith Joke At Oscars After-Party ... 'I'm Smacking Back!!!'

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TMZ.com

Cedric the Entertainer made Will Smith the butt of a joke at an Oscars after-party ... keeping Jada Pinkett Smith's name out of his mouth, and warning Will impersonators.

The joke is all on video, and it's great ... just watch Cedric do his thing. Maybe Chris Rock could take a few pointers.

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While Cedric doesn't mention Will, Jada or Chris by name ... it's obvious what he's referencing here ... everyone saw what happened at the Academy Awards, and this is an after-party.

Cedric was hosting the Griot Gala Oscars After-Party when he cracked the joke ... meanwhile, Will was dancing to his own tunes at the Vanity Fair shindig and Chris went to Guy Oseary's Oscars After-Party to try and salvage the night.

Francis Ford Coppola & Bob Evans 'Godfather' Feud Ran DEEP!!! Telegrams Show the Hatred

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Francis Ford Coppola's making his 'Godfather' family whole again with his Oscars speech -- but never-before-seen, and pretty damn epic, telegrams reveal just how heated his war was with the late Robert Evans.

TMZ obtained these messages sent between Coppola and then-Paramount Studios honcho Evans way back in 1983 ... and the vitriol explains why it wasn't until last night that FFC buried the hatchet.

The famed filmmaker celebrated the 50th anniversary of "The Godfather" last night with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro by his side -- and, for the first time in public, thanked Evans for shepherding the film 'Godfather' at Paramount.

Their feud began after the original's 1972 release, but 11 years later they were still raging at each other -- and Francis fired off this telegram, saying things like, "Your stupid blabbing about cutting The Godfather comes back to me and angers me for its ridiculous pomposity."

He added, "You did nothing on The Godfather other than annoy me and slow it down ... You have double crossed me for the last time. If you want a PR war or any kind of war, no one is better at it than me."

The battle was, at least partly, about creative credit and Evans didn't hesitate to respond in kind, saying ... "I cannot imagine what prompted this venomous diatribe. I am both annoyed and exacerbated by your fallacious accusations, when all I do is praise your extraordinary talents as a filmmaker."

And, Evans really got personal with this ... "I can not conceive what motivated your malicious thoughts, but if they are a reflection of your hostility, I bear great sympathy and concern for your apparent paranoid-schizophrenic behavior. However, dear Francis, do not mistake my kindness for weakness."

As for how these telegrams are coming to light ... hyper-successful celeb real estate titan Kurt Rapaport was close with Evans, and before his 2019 death, he gave a bunch of memorabilia to Kurt.

Talk about hidden treasures -- the telegrams were inside one of the boxes of Evans' stuff.

While it's unclear if Evans and Coppola ever patched things up, privately -- the fact is, FFC never publicly gave him his flowers, so it was a huge moment of peacemaking.

Kinda the opposite of everything else that happened Sunday night at the Oscars. 😅

Will Smith Academy Opens Formal Review Of Oscars Slap ... Condemns His Violence

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences isn't dropping Sunday night's Oscars incident with Will Smith and Chris Rock ... opening a formal review of what went down and further condemning Will's actions.

The Academy made a statement Monday, saying "The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show. We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law."

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The Academy usually holds a post-Oscars meeting that goes over what happened during the show ... odds are, this review will be a big topic of discussion. It's unclear what's on the table ... it could be anything from taking Will's Oscar back, to banning him from future awards shows. Or, it could just be a reprimand.

As you'll recall, Chris Rock was announcing the award for Best Documentary when he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head, comparing her to "G.I. Jane."

Will walked on stage and slapped Chris across the face. After returning to his seat -- entire audience shocked and confused -- Will shouted from his seat, "Keep my wife's name out your f****** mouth!"

Chris Rock Hasn't Spoken to Will Smith ... Didn't Know Jada Has Alopecia

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3:01 PM PT -- A source in Diddy's camp tells us he never claimed Chris and Will met up -- he spoke with them individually -- and then reiterated what he said on stage, the two are brothers and "it's all love."

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Diddy, who came on stage just after the slap, said, "Will and Chris, we are going to solve that like family at The Gold Party. But right now, we are moving on with love."

Will Smith and Chris Rock have not buried the hatchet, despite reports to the contrary ... in fact they haven't spoken since the slap.

A source with direct knowledge tells us Chris and Will haven't settled anything, despite a claim from Diddy saying everything was cool. In fact, we're told the whole thing stunned Chris ... who went straight to his dressing room after the slap and there has been no communication since between the two men.

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We spoke to a close friend of Chris who was at The Oscars ... who tells us even before the incident with Will, he had "no intention of staying" ... he went to his dressing room and then left the building.

Then there's this ... the source says Chris had no idea Jada had alopecia and that he "doesn't have a mean bone in his body."

Chris' joke that sparked the smack was directed at Jada's short hair, telling her he couldn't wait for "G.I. Jane 2."

Our source says Chris was left "shaken and bewildered" by Will, but he still went to Guy Oseary's Oscars After Party to try and have some fun before the night ended.

As for Diddy, we're told he was backstage when the whole thing went down, but he told Page Six at the Variety after party, "That’s not a problem. That’s over." Our Chris Rock source says that's absolutely not true ... and the two haven't spoken.

Originally Published -- 10:59 AM PT

Celeb Designer Sheila Bridges Will & Chris Played into Stereotypes ... 'A Loss All Around'

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AN ALL-AROUND DISAPPOINTMENT
TMZ.com

While everyone's busy choosing sides after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock ... Sheila Bridges says she's disappointed in both of 'em, because their actions reinforced stereotypes about Black men.

The interior designer famously suffers from alopecia, something she discussed one-on-one with Chris for his 2009 documentary "Good Hair" -- but Monday on TMZ Live she said it feels like CR forgot their convo when he decided to joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's hair.

Sheila says it's already difficult for Black women to navigate in a hair-obsessed world, and moments like this just make it harder ... noting that society often ties a woman's worth to her hair. And, intentional or not, she feels Rock's joke played into the idea Black women can and should be disrespected publicly.

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That being said, Sheila's hardly giving Will a pass for getting physical. She says his reaction played into the violent Black man stereotype -- so, overall, she sees everyone involved taking an "L."

Jada has been vocal about her battle with alopecia and shaved her head after getting a bald spot, back in July. However, TMZ broke the story ... a close friend of Rock's, who was at the Oscars, tells us he had no idea Jada's dealing with the condition

While Sheila wasn't happy with how things went down, she surely felt Jada's pain.

JuJu Smith-Schuster No TikToks With Jackson Mahomes ... 'Not Happening'

Two of the biggest TikTok stars on the planet will NOT join forces to dominate the social media app ... 'cause JuJu Smith-Schuster says a collab with Patrick Mahomes' lil' bro, Jackson is straight-up "not happening."

Jackson -- who has 1 MILLION followers on TikTok -- was extra hyped when the Chiefs signed Smith-Schuster to a one-year, $10.75 million last week ... saying, "Now we have to collab ..."

Of course, JuJu has a whopping 3 million followers ... and considering Jackson basically lives on the app, it couldn't have been more convenient and fitting for the two to link up.

Well, Smith-Schuster thinks otherwise -- when he was asked about teaming up with the 21-year-old during an interview with Taylor Bisciotti, he shut it down -- real quick!

"Nah," Smith-Schuster said. "That is not happening."

Waiting for your permission to load TikTok Post.

"I'm putting that out there right now, I'm not making no TikToks."

Unsure if he meant in general, or just with Jackson ... 'cause the 25-year-old posted two new TikToks in his new Chiefs jersey right after the interview.

Waiting for your permission to load TikTok Post.

Even though the collab got shut down, we're pretty sure it won't stop Jackson from TikTok-ing it up on the sideline this upcoming season.

Will Smith Smacks Chris Rock at the Oscars ... 'Keep My Wife's Name Out Your F****** Mouth!!!'

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UPDATE

8:01 PM PT -- Will Smith seems to have some people in his corner ... including Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry, who were seen comforting him after the show went to break.

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The two actors could be seen chatting to WS off to the side, and they eventually led him back to his table ... where he was embraced by someone else. Will is said to have been apparently wiping tears from his eyes.

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It's unclear if he'll be allowed to stay for the rest of the show.

In a truly shocking moment, Will Smith just smacked Chris Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith at The Oscars.

Chris was up on stage Sunday presenting for Best Documentary, but before he started naming the nominees ... he was firing off zingers to the crowd, and eventually landed on Will and Jada Pinkett Smith.

Chris made a comment about Jada's shaved head ... saying he couldn't wait to see 'G.I. Jane 2' -- which got some groans from the crowd, to which he just sorta shrugged off.

Chris didn't think he'd crossed a line, but Will clearly did ... because he stormed the stage and literally socked the dude in the face. A stunned Rock exclaimed, "Wow. Will Smith just smacked the s*** outta me."

The American broadcast on ABC muted, and even froze, but in other countries it continued ... and Will shouted "Keep my wife's name out your f****** mouth" twice to Chris.

Chris eventually gained his composure again and carried on with handing out the Oscar, but the room was left tense with a sense of unease.

Jada has been public with her alopecia diagnosis for a good while, documenting her struggle with hair loss.

As of now ... Will and Jada are still sitting in the crowd.

Originally Published -- 7:50 PM PT

Anthony Anderson Wife Files For Divorce After 20+ Years of Marriage

Anthony Anderson's wife, Alvina, has filed for divorce, ending their 22-year marriage.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ ... Alvina filed on Friday in Los Angeles and is requesting spousal support from Anthony. She also checked the box to block the court's ability to award any support to Anthony ... and also wants him to pay for her attorney fees.

Anthony and Alvina met while attending Howard University in Washington D.C. in 1989 ... he dropped out his junior year due to financial issues, but is reportedly working towards graduating this year with his son.

After marrying in 1999, the two became separated from 2014 to 2016. As we reported, Alvina filed for divorce back in 2015 but dropped the case the following year. This occurred at the same time Anthony booked his popular role on "Black-ish."

Anthony and Alvina have 2 adult children together -- 22-year-old Nathan and 26-year-old Kyra.

Nick Lachey Goes Off On Photographer ... Tries To Snatch Phone From Her Hands

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10:53 AM PT -- Nick tweeted about the incident, saying, "Last night, after enjoying a great dinner with my wife and our dear friend, the paparazzi harassed us as we walked back to our hotel. I clearly overreacted. I've been in this game long enough to know that their antics are sadly part of the deal. Stupid of me. Done."

Nick Lachey got violent toward a photographer during his night out ... reaching in her car and trying to rip the phone out of her hands.

Nick and his wife, Vanessa, went out to eat at Mastro's in Beverly Hills Sunday night ... after seeing a photog taking pics of him from her car, he made his way across the street, allegedly punching her window and calling her a "p**** mother f*****." Vanessa was yelling for her to open her car door.

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After he walked away, the photographer puts her window down and asks him what's his problem, making him dart back to the car. After noticing her filming him, he quickly reaches into the car and tries to pry the phone from her hands.

Later in the night, Nick was with Vanessa and another woman, walking back to a hotel ... Nick was yelling and sticking his middle finger up to photogs as they walked by.

The photographer claimed she could smell alcohol on his breath ... a possible factor in his erratic behavior.

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Sunday night showed a similar situation with celebrity violence ... as you recall, Will Smith walked on stage at the Oscars, slapping Chris Rock across the face after a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith set him off.

We reached out to Nick's rep ... so far, no word back.

Originally Published -- 7:50 AM PT

Will Smith Getting Jiggy With It At After-Party ... Following Chris Rock Slap

Big Willie Style was in full effect after Will Smith won an Oscar and slapped Chris Rock on live TV ... Will was dancing to his famous hit and holding his award at an after-party.

Ya gotta see this video of Will on Oscar Sunday ... no, not the one where he slaps Chris for joking about Jada Pinkett Smith ... this one, where he's dancing to his song, "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It," at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party in Hollywood.

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There's a huge circle around Will, and a ton of cameras in his face ... and it certainly doesn't look like he's bothered by what went down on stage with Chris ... cutting loose on the dance floor, singing his own lyrics and showing off his Oscar for his work in "King Richard."

It's quite a mood swing for Will, who only hours before was taking major issue with Chris for making fun of his wife. Guess winning an Oscar will do that for ya.

Ex-NBA Star Charlie Villanueva Goes At Chris Rock For Alopecia Joke 'I Stand With Will & Jada'

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TMZSports.com

Former NBA star Charlie Villanueva, who's famously battled Alopecia, ripped Chris Rock for his Oscars barb about the autoimmune disease ... adding that he's "proud" of Will Smith for defending Jada Pinkett Smith.

Villanueva took to Instagram to express his thoughts on the Smith-Rock altercation at Sunday night's Academy Awards ... saying as someone who's had to deal with Alopecia, he knows what Jada is going through.

And, he said he can understand why Smith reacted the way he did following Rock's "balding" G.I. Jane quip.

"She voiced that she struggled with [Alopecia], and Chris Rock thought it was cool to crack a joke," Villanueva said. "We are not with Jada everyday to know the level of the struggle, but Will does."

"As I don’t condone violence, Im proud that Will Smith stood up for his wife."

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Villanueva added, "As a fellow Alopecians, I stand with Will and Jada."

Villanueva -- an ambassador for National Alopecia Areata Foundation -- also took to Twitter to send a personal message to those battling Alopecia as well as to Jada ... writing in a tweet, "Remember, you have Alopecia, Alopecia doesn't have you. Don't give up on yourself. Life is just as beautiful as you."

According to The National Library of Medicine, Alopecia affects 1 in every 500-to-1,000 people in the United States ... and can affect men and women equally of any ethnic background.

Villanueva wasn't the only sports figure to praise Will for his reaction Sunday ... former UFC star Tyron Woodley also said on social media that he supported Smith's slap -- saying, "i fight over women, especially the women in my family, Sisters, & Daughter."

Smith did apologize for the outburst in an acceptance speech later Sunday evening.

Kim Kardashian Clarifies 'Get Your Ass Up & Work' Comment ... Wasn't A Dig, Success Ain't Easy

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Kim Kardashian says her recent comments about work ethic and finding success weren't meant to be a dig at women ... they were just the reality of working hard to achieve your goals when everyone else doubts you.

Kim came under fire earlier this month when she told Variety her advice for women in business, "Get your f***ing ass up and work. It seems like no one wants to work these days."

However, Kim says the whole thing was taken out of context, telling Robin Roberts on 'GMA' Monday, "My message was to anyone who wants to be successful in building a business or brand having come from that very specific space — reality show or social media fame — is to work hard. It’s not easy. You don’t just post something on social media and overnight you become a success."

A source who was there for the interview, tells us Kim made it clear, her comment was not directed AT women, it was a part of her own personal experience, saying, "After 20 years at this I am still put in the box of “famous for being famous. I heard someone say that to me when we did that interview and that’s when my demeanor and tone shifted."

Finally, she states, "My statement was never intended to be a general blanket statement or to even allude to the idea that women don’t already work hard — and I’m sorry that it was received in that way."

Of course, Kim's become a billionaire through the reality TV and social media pipeline ... a feat not accomplished by others -- so her advice has to ring true, even if it's tough to hear.

Chris Rock Refused to File Assault and Battery Police Report After Will Smith Smack

Chris Rock is NOT going to file a police report -- at least for now -- against Will Smith after the latter smacked him squarely across the face ... but the window is still open.

LAPD brass said Sunday night that they were aware of an incident during the 94th Academy Awards between two individuals ... in which one person slapped the other. Obviously, they're referring to Will and Chris -- but they also note ... CR declined to press charges.

They add ... if Chris wants to file an investigative report at a later date, he can do that -- and they'll be all ears.

Now, as for how exactly the cops got involved in this has been a bit of a mystery until now -- namely, nobody really knew if they were called or if they actually spoke to Chris directly. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... there were LAPD officers on site during the actual incident, whom we're told witnessed the hit -- and then approached Chris' team thereafter.

Essentially, they watched what they believed to be a crime ... otherwise, they wouldn't have approached him. Since Chris said he wasn't interested in pursuing it, it's routine in a case like this for cops to stand down.

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Presumably ... Will could be dinged on assault and battery, but at the moment -- it doesn't seem he's going to face any repercussions for what he did. It's also unclear if the Academy will hold him accountable.

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As you know by now, Will struck Chris on stage during the live broadcast following a joke the comedian cracked about Jada Pinkett -- which was about her shaved head ... a direct result of the alopecia she suffers from.

Not too long after that, Will won an Oscar for Best Actor ... and gave a bizarre speech in which he seemed to defend his actions -- all while fighting back tears.

Jay-Z Oscars After-Party Brings Out Celebs ... And Dozens of Protesters

Jay-Z's after-party for the Oscars was definitely one to remember ... 'cause some of Hollywood's biggest names had to make their way through angry protesters to get inside.

The mogul threw his Gold Party at the famed Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, where folks like Rihanna, Saweetie, Kim Kardashian and Diddy were greeted by frustrated former employees of the hotel ... who claim they were mistreated by management.

Other guests included Winnie Harlow, Jon Hamm, Khloe Kardashian, French Montana, Zoe Kravitz and Troy Kotsur -- the first deaf man to win an acting Oscar.

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TMZ.com

Check out the video ... angry protesters raised their voices and signs, claiming they worked in a toxic work environment with racial discrimination and the owner, André Balazs, abandoned more than 200 fired employees during the coronavirus pandemic.

Leading up to the soiree, Jay-Z received backlash for the venue and was urged to move the party. Clearly, that didn't happen and the party went on as planned.

Will Smith and Chris Rock Smackdown Justified or Not???

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

Chris Rock's Jada Joke

Will Smith Slapping Chris

Will's Speech About Love

If Kanye Did The Same Thing

If Will Slugged Chris Instead

Slapping Incident Made the Oscars

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Jake Paul Hey, Will and Chris ... Box Out The Beef For $15 Million!!!

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.

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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.

So ... Never say never??