The 2022 Oscars became one of the most tense and infamous nights in recent Hollywood history after Will Smith abruptly walked up stage and slapped Chris Rock following an insensitive joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith's hair.
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Many stars in attendance have spoken out about the shocking moment and what it was like to witness it, as well as its aftermath, with Oscars host Amy Schumer calling the altercation "traumatic."
Jessica Chastain is the latest celebrity to speak out. She won her very first Oscar shortly after the infamous slap for her role as Tammy Faye Messner in The Eyes of Tammy Faye.
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Speaking for a recent cover shoot for Net-a-Porter's Porter magazine, the actress opened up about how the room felt.
"It was a weird night," she said, despite her major and long-awaited win, which was unfortunately overshadowed by the instant viral nature of the slap. “I walked into a very charged energy in that room, and I was trying to figure out… how to just breathe and create a calmness," Jessica explained.
Even before knowing whether she would be taking the Oscar home or not, she maintained she was determined to give a bold speech about mental health issues across the United States, which she did.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe contentious moment
Taking to the stage in a glamorous ombré Gucci gown which faded from rose gold into lilac, after thanking the Academy and those who helped shape her career, she said: "We are coming out of some difficult times that have been filled with a lot of trauma and isolation."
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She continued: "So many people out there feel hopelessness and they feel alone, and suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, it's touched many families, it's touched mine, and especially members of the LGBTQ community." Her younger sister died by suicide in 2003.
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"We're faced with discriminatory and bigotted legislation that is sweeping our country with the only goal of further dividing us," she boldly stated.
She also thanked Tammy Faye Messner for inspiring her with her "radical acts of love."
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