A senior Tory has entered the Oscars fray, stating that if someone made a joke about his wife’s medical condition, he would “get up and lamp” them.

Will Smith, who slapped Oscars host Chris Rock after taking offense at a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, looked to have the support of UK’s Conservative MP Simon Hoare.

During the event on Sunday, Rock joked, “Jada, can’t wait for G.I. Jane 2,” referring to the 1997 film G.I. Jane, which starred Demi Moore with a buzzcut identical to Pinkett Smith.

Smith stormed onto the stage and slapped the host, then returned to his seat and yelled: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f****** mouth.”

Pinkett Smith has previously spoken about her decision to shave her head due to alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss.

Smith, who went on to win the award for Best Actor, used his winning speech to apologize to the Academy and “all my fellow nominees” – but not to Rock.

Mr. Hoare, who chairs the Northern Ireland Committee in the House of Commons, sent out a tweet: “Re Will Smith incident @theoscars22live I’d just hope if someone thought it in good taste to make a joke at the expense of a medical condition of my wife then I’d get up and lamp him.

“The *joke* was tasteless.”

Rock was “mistaken” in making the joke, according to Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi, but “violence is never the answer.”

He told LBC: “Violence is never the answer to any problem-solving, as Will Smith admitted himself in that tearful, heart-wrenching apology.

“I think we should also remember – and I’m the Education Secretary – that actually sometimes even a joke can be below the belt.

“When a joke is about somebody’s wife and her illness – she has alopecia – it is wrong. I think Chris Rock was mistaken to do that to Mrs Smith.”Will Smith appeared to shout from the audience after smacking Chris Rock live on stage at the Oscars

He added: “I have to say, a first Oscar for one of my favourite actors was wonderful to see – marred by that incident, sadly.”

When asked how he would explain the situation to students if he were a teacher, he told BBC Breakfast: “I would say, don’t do it.

“You could see Will Smith – and my heart was broken when I saw him, that tearful apology, he apologised immediately.

“It was hard for him because it was someone who made a joke about his wife and her illness. That’s not easy but he regretted it and he apologised immediately.

“It is heart-breaking when you lose control of your emotions in that way, but I think it is important not to allow yourself to cross that line, and he apologised immediately, which is good to see.”

Smith will not face prosecution as a result of the event since Rock chose not to submit a police report.

A spokesperson for Los Angeles Police said it is “aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards programme [which] involved one individual slapping another.

“The individual has declined to file a police report. If the party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.”

Smith won his first Academy Award for King Richard, in which he played Richard Williams, the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams.

Image Credit: Getty

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