The 94th Academy Award continues to trend on numerous social platforms due to the infamous Will Smith and Chris Rock ‘Slap gate’ incident. While the incident left the Hollywood fraternity and fans divided; we have seen various heated arguments, memes, and social posts related to the controversial episode, and these continue to surface even today.
While the ‘Slap gate’ incident completely rattled the Hollywood industry, the 53-year-old actor followed up with a long apology note the next day. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be,” Will Smith wrote.
Smith’s confession comes hours after Academy’s shared a statement announcing the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against Will Smith. The Academy even penned an apology to Rock as they wrote: “Mr. Rock, we apologize to you for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience at that moment.”
There is no doubt that this entire episode was indeed a publicity stunt. However, we are also witnessing a strange theory that actor Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars was orchestrated by Pfizer to push the pharmaceutical company’s Alopecia drug.
Following the incident, it was widely discussed that the “G.I. Jane” joke cracked by Rock was a sensitive subject as Pinkett Smith has publicly discussed how she suffered hair loss as a result of her alopecia.
Well, the doubts are not unjustified, as pharmaceutical group Pfizer and biotechnology company BioNTech were two of the official sponsors of the awards ceremony.
Both organizations are developing the drug Etrasimod, which is a once-a-day tablet being trialed to treat a range of diseases including ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, atopic dermatitis, and eosinophilic esophagitis, and alopecia areata.
Here it is important to note that just days before the Oscars, Pfizer announced Phase 3 trials of the drug had been a huge success. As per the conspiracy theorists, The FDA is about to approve the Pfizer alopecia drug which is going to be the 1st ever to be approved for the condition.
It is being said that Chris makes a joke that put alopecia in the spotlight, and when Will Smith smashes Chris, millions of people started researching more information on the alopecia drug. Conspiracy theorists allege that this slap gate was a publicity stunt to get people talking about alopecia ahead of the release of Etrasimod.
PFIZER calls conspiracy theory ‘ABSURD’
As expected, Pfizer smashed this conspiracy theory and call it ‘Absurd’. Speaking to Newsweek, a Pfizer spokesperson said: “There is absolutely no connection, and to imply it is absurd. Pfizer is proud to support the Oscars, and we are heartened to see the film industry gather in-person and alongside fans to celebrate the talent and artistry produced during the past year.”
Pfizer was also deemed to set the record straight on the damaging theories of their Covid-19 vaccines. It said that “The available data continue to show that broad utilization of COVID-19 vaccines and boosters can help prevent disease and protect lives. Our sponsorship highlights the impact they can have on individuals pursuing their livelihoods.
“The film industry has embraced vaccination, masking, and other protocols designed to help prevent disease and avoid serious illness from COVID-19 and we are pleased to work with it to further promote public”.
We really don’t know if there is any substance to these wild allegations. It could be a baseless theory to defame the drug manufacturer by creating a stir on social media. However, considering the methods enterprises employ to garner eyeballs these days, people are still wary about the intentions behind this infamous slap gate.
