Jimmy Kimmel says Will Smith 'would be forgiven' if he slapped 'rodent' Kanye West at Grammys

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jimmy Kimmel may not have forgiven Kanye West and his wife, Bianca Censori, for their little show on the red carpet of the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, but he has contemplated forgiving Will Smith for his transgression at the 2022 Oscars.

The 'Men in Black' actor courted controversy and almost became the scandal of the season when he slapped Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards after the comedian made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head.

While almost three years have passed since the event, the memory of it remains, with Kimmel claiming that the 'Bad Boys' star stood a chance of being forgiven for the slap, had he actually thought of repeating the same - only this time - to West, who currently goes by the name Ye.

Jimmy Kimmel jokes Will Smith should have slapped Kanye West at the Grammys

As the 67th Grammy Awards rolled in, Kanye West and his wife, Bianca Censori walked the red carpet of the prestigious ceremony.

The ‘Donda’ rapper, dressed in his typical all-black outfit, accompanied his wife who was wrapped up in a black fur coat. As the couple posed on the red carpet, the Yezy architect removed her cloak to reveal her transparent dress, which she wore with nothing underneath. 

The pair - who tied the knot in 2022 - did not stay longer, as they left the venue after stirring up the red-carpet drama. 

However, by the looks of it, not everyone was impressed by the stance, as is evident from Kimmel’s words.

During the February 3 monologue on his 'Jimmy Kimmel Live', the comedian boldly declared that Smith might have been forgiven if he directed his infamous anger toward the ‘Carnival’ rapper and slapped him for the discretion, as reported by Variety.

The 2025 Grammys also marked the ‘Men in Black’ actor’s first televised awards show appearance where he presented a musical tribute to the late Quincy Jones. 

Referencing the moment created by West and Censori, Kimmel said, "Another rodent came out of his hole to hit the red carpet at the Grammys last night — none other than Kanye West, who showed up to take photos."

"He showed up for the red carpet only with his wife, who caused quite a stir. She was wearing … nothing," continued the comedian.

He further said that had it not for Donald Trump being back at the White House, he would have spent his entire monologue on West, claiming, "This shows you just how times have changed. Before Trump, [West and Censori] would have been our whole monologue tonight. Now it’s like the ninth craziest thing that happened this week."

Referencing an incident from the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show popularly known as Janetgate, Kimmel said, "Remember when the whole country melted down when one of Janet Jackson’s b**bs popped out for a millisecond?" before calling out Censori’s shocking attire.

Then he directed his attention to Smith, saying, "Also on the red carpet at the Grammys last night, Will Smith, who is banned from the Oscars for 10 years. The Grammys, they had him onstage honoring Quincy Jones. And you know what’s a shame? Will Smith, all he had to do was run out on that red carpet and slap Kanye. I think all would be forgiven. He would be hosting the Oscars next year."

Kanye West and Bianca Censori weren't kicked out of the Grammys red carpet

Soon after their red carpet stunt, it was rumored that Kanye West and Bianca Censori were kicked out of the venue.

However, a source shared with Variety that it was "not true" and that the couple "walked the carpet, got in his car and left." 

TMZ also reported that the couple was not escorted out, but rather they went out from the Crypto.com Arena of their own volition.

The outlet reported, "He walked the red carpet, got in his car of his own volition and then left ... police and Grammys security never got involved."