Trevor Noah kicks off Grammys monologue with a dig at Will Smith's Oscars controversy

'We will be listening to music, dancing, singing, keeping people’s names out of our mouths..."

Trevor Noah speaks onstage during the Grammys 2022 at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 03, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Image credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

It's been a busy week in entertainment. The Grammys 2022 just kicked off, and already there's been a reference to the infamous Oscars controversy. 

Just one week ago, we were all stunned and asked, "What happened with Will Smith at the Oscars?" The slap heard 'round the world has been discussed at length for the past seven days, and though we've moved onto a new awards show, it's still all anyone can talk about. 



Grammys 2022: Trevor Noah's opening monologue

During his opening monologue, Grammys host Trevor Noah said, “Don’t even think of this as an award show. It’s a concert where we are giving out awards, we will be listening to music, dancing, singing, keeping people’s names out of our mouths and we are going to give people awards all throughout the night. So let’s get straight into it.”

The "keeping people's names out of our mouths" bit alluded to Smith's warning—and slap across the face on stage—to Chris Rock to "keep my wife's name out of your f****** mouth," after the comedian joked about Jada Pinkett Smith's alopecia.

Since the Oscars flair-up, Will Smith apologized to Chris Rock with a lengthy statement that appeared on the actor's Instagram. 

"Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable," he wrote. "Jokes at my expense are part of the job, but a joke about Jada's medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally."

The repercussions will still be enforced, it seems. Smith announced on April 1 that he is resigning from the Academy, according to Variety. However, the Academy still plans to meet on April 18 to discuss “suspension, expulsion or other sanctions," per Variety

It's arguably one of the most memorable moments to take place during awards season. Here's hoping that the 64th Annual Grammy Awards will be memorable, but in terms of the wins for the music industry. 

The show is airing live on CBS and available for streaming on Paramount+, online at  live.grammy.com or the Grammys’ YouTube page.

Danielle Valente

Danielle is a writer for woman&home and My Imperfect Life, covering all-things news, lifestyle and entertainment. 


The heart of her time at Future has been devoted to My Imperfect Life, where she's been attuned to the cosmos, new TV shows and relationship trends.  


Before her time at Future, Danielle was the editor of Time Out New York Kids and a news editor at Elite Daily. Her work has also appeared in Domino, Chowhound, amNewYork and Newsday, among other outlets. 


When Danielle is not working, you can usually find her reading a book, coffee at hand, or attempting a new recipe. (Recommendations always welcome!)