![Far-left Democrat Ayanna Pressley tweets praise for Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at Oscars — then tweet is gone moments later](https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/far-left-democrat-ayanna-pressley-tweets-praise-for-will-smith-slapping-chris-rock-at-oscars-then-tweet-is-gone-moments-later.jpg?id=29603327&width=1245&height=700&quality=85&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C56)
Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images (left); Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images (right)
Democratic U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley tweeted praise for actor Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock onstage during the Academy Awards ceremony Sunday night, then apparently deleted the tweet moments later, Politico reported.
Smith slapped Rock after the comedian joked about the lack of hair on Jada Pinkett Smith's head. Pinkett Smith, Will Smith's wife, revealed in 2018 her diagnosis of alopecia, an autoimmune disease that results in hair loss, NBC News reported.
Pressely, a Massachusetts politician, also has alopecia.
"#Alopecia nation stand up! Thank you #WillSmith,” Pressley tweeted, according to NBC News. “Shout out to all the husbands who defend their wives living with alopecia in the face of daily ignorance & insults.” The network reported that Pressley's tweet also said, “Women with baldies are for real men only … boys need not apply."
Just-deleted tweet from Rep. Ayanna Pressley #mapoli #Oscarspic.twitter.com/gGFlStTQ3D— Grace Panetta (@Grace Panetta) 1648435754
Pressley — whose tweet included a photo of herself with her husband Conan Harris — apparently deleted the tweet shortly after posting it, Politico said.
Another Democrat — U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York — also tweeted what seemed to be support for Smith's slap before apparently scrubbing it from Twitter, NBC News said.
"Teachable Moment: Don't joke about a Black Woman's hair," the tweet read, according to the network.
Jamaal Bowman also briefly tweeted about Will Smith assaulting Chris Rock before deleting itpic.twitter.com/KLKXbI4o9E— Ben Jacobs (@Ben Jacobs) 1648436039
Neither Pressley nor Bowman explained why their tweets were deleted, NBC News said, adding that requests for comment from their offices were not immediately returned.
After Smith slapped Rock, Smith turned around and walked back to his seat, sat down, and twice hollered at Rock, "Keep my wife's name out your f***ing mouth!"
Content warning: Profanity:
VIA JAPANESE TELEVISION: The uncensored exchange between Will Smith and Chris Rockpic.twitter.com/j0Z184ZyXa— Timothy Burke (@Timothy Burke) 1648434735
Minutes later, Smith received a best actor Oscar for "King Richard," in which he portrays Richard Williams, the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams.
Smith got a standing ovation as he took the stage, after which he said as part of his acceptance speech that "Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family." Smith added that "I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world" and that he's "being called on in my life to love people, and to protect people, and to be a river to my people."
Smith added, "Now I know that to do what we do; you gotta be able to take abuse, you gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you in this business; you’ve got to be able to have people disrespecting you. You’ve got to smile and pretend like that’s OK." Smith also thanked fellow actor Denzel Washington for telling him minutes before, "At your highest moment, be careful. That’s when the devil comes for you."
The actor also issued an apology — but not to Rock.
"I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees," Smith said, adding that "art imitates life ... I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams. Love will make you do crazy things. ... Thank you, I hope the Academy invites me back."