Lupita Nyong’o Reacts to Becoming a Meme After Will Smith Oscars Slap

It was the slap seen all around the world—and Lupita Nyong’o had a front-row seat to the action.

Nearly seven months after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage during the 2022 Oscars, the Black Panther star is sharing how she felt after realizing that she would become a meme for her reaction.

“Once the moment was over, I realized, ‘Oh my God, there’s no way all this transpired and I’m not in the shot,'” Lupita told the Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Oct. 19. “I knew as soon as it was over that I was going to be a meme.”

While numerous celebrities have spoken out about that viral moment, Lupita opts to let her now-famous reaction—during which she’s glancing over at Will with her eyes and mouth wide open in shock—do the talking for her.

“I don’t want to add any more fuel to that thing,” she said, “quite frankly.”