Following Films Podcast: Will Smith Assaults Chris Rock - Aron Solomon Provides Legal Insight

Last night at the Oscars, in a truly unprecedented moment, Will Smith left his seat, walked on stage, and hit Chris Rock in the face. While many wondered for a second (including me) whether this all might have been staged, it clearly was not.

According to Aron Solomon, chief legal analyst for Esquire Digital, “The question that millions of people are asking today is whether Will Smith’s actions legally constituted assault and battery. While the Oscars are broadcast to a massive audience around the world, they are held in California where assault and battery are, by statute, two different crimes. It is clear that what happened at the Oscars was an assault under the California statutory definition.”

Today I’m joined by Aron Solomon to discuss the legal ramifications of last night's Best Actor winner's impulsive reaction to a joke. Thanks to Aron for jumping on this call so quickly and thanks to Fort Worth for letting me use the song.

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