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Wanda Sykes is the second Oscars 2022 host left “traumatized” by Will Smith’s infamous slapping of Chris Rock during the awards show.
“I just felt so awful for my friend Chris,” the comic, 58, said in a sneak peek of Wednesday’s episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
“And it was sickening … I physically felt ill, and I’m still a little traumatized by it.”
Fellow host Amy Schumer shared on Instagram earlier Wednesday that she, too, was “still triggered and traumatized” over the incident.
“I love my friend @chrisrock and believe he handled it like a pro,” the “Trainwreck” star, 40, added. “Stayed up there and gave an Oscar to his friend @questlove and the whole thing was so disturbing.”
During her interview with DeGeneres, Sykes also slammed the Academy for allowing Smith, 53, to go back to his seat – and then later accept the award for Best Actor – as if nothing had happened.
“I was like, ‘How gross is this?’” she told DeGeneres, 64. “This is just the wrong message. If you assault somebody, you get escorted out of the building and that’s it, but for them to let him continue, I thought it was gross.”
Sykes joked that when Smith won, she would have liked to run out and say, “Uh, unfortunately Will couldn’t be here tonight.”
The “UpShaws” star added that she and fellow hosts Schumer and Regina Hall, 51, “worked really hard” to put the show together.
DeGeneres then praised Sykes and said, “Again, I want to say what a great job you did because that got overshadowed.”
Sykes also shared that she saw Rock, 57, at Guy Oseary’s afterparty. She said the “Saturday Night Live” alum actually issued her an apology, to which she said, “Why are you apologizing?”
Sykes said Rock told her that it was “supposed to be” her night, adding, “You, and Amy and Regina, y’all were doing such a great job. I’m so sorry this is now going to be about this.”
Sykes said that response was a testament to who Rock “is.” DeGeneres agreed, saying, “Chris is a sweet guy.”
Page Six exclusively reported Monday that Sykes was Rock’s “wingwoman” at Oseary’s party. “He was sitting at Guy’s dining table, and people lined up to console him and offer support,” a spy told us.
Rock has not issued a formal statement on the slap heard around the world.
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