Killer Mike Arrest Raises Will Smith Question

After rapper Killer Mike was arrested at Sunday night's Grammy Awards people are questioning why Will Smith wasn't given the same treatment at the 2022 Oscars.

Killer Mike—real name Michael Render—reportedly got into a physical altercation with a security guard after winning three Grammys.

Render was booked for misdemeanor battery after a confrontation with a security officer at the ceremony who didn't get out of his way quickly enough. Law enforcement sources who spoke to media said he knocked down a guard outside the stadium.

People are now questioning why he received such treatment while Smith didn't after he slapped comedian Chris Rock.

Newsweek contacted representatives for Render and Smith for comment via email Monday.

At the 94th Academy Awards, Smith took umbrage with a joke Rock told onstage about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Not seeing the funny side, Smith walked on stage, slapped Rock, turned and took his seat in the front row again. Proving it wasn't a bit, he proceeded to tell Rock to "keep my wife's name" out of his mouth.

Though Smith went on to win the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Richard Williams in the biographical sports drama King Richard, his triumph was overshadowed by the assault on Rock.

In the days that followed, Smith apologized to Rock for his actions and was banned from the Oscars for 10 years by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Render's arrest has now brought new attention to the 2022 slap. TV personality Stephen A. Smith, who is host of First Take on ESPN and The Stephen A. Smith Show on YouTube, has weighed in on the topic on X, formerly Twitter.

"Yea, I'm looking forward to @FirstTake in the AM, but that ain't on my mind right now. Riddle me this: How in the Hell does Killer Mike get taken from the Grammy's in HANDCUFFS for an 'alleged Crime' but Will Smith gets to accept his speech AND party—with no arrest—after committing one on Nat'l TV???" he wrote on the platform. His post went viral and at the time of writing, it had been viewed over 626,000 times.

He isn't the only person to think such a thing, as other people took to X to echo his sentiment.

"If they arrested Killer Mike at the Grammys for a physical altercation they should have arrested Will Smith at the Oscars!" one person wrote.

"So Killer Mike was arrested by LAPD for MISDEMEANOR battery for allegedly getting into an altercation prior to arriving at the Grammys & there's no video for it, but Will Smith did not get arrested for an assault that happened on live TV?" someone else queried.

"Killer Mike being arrested for something we know nothing about....when the whole world witnessed assault from Will Smith and was able to remain in his seat for the rest of the night that one day...." a third person said.

A fourth added: "Why did Killer Mike just get arrested at the #GRAMMYs after winning 3x and why didn't Will Smith ever get arrested after he assaulted someone in front of God and everybody?"

However, others said they thought there was a fair enough reason one man was arrested but not the other.

"Because no one called the cops on Will..." one X user wrote.

"Simple, if you're a victim and you call the cops they come, if you're a victim and you don't call the cops they don't come. Follow me for more logic," said another, to which someone else added: "The cops were at the BET awards and did ask Chris if he wanted to press charges. He Declined. They only ask that as a courtesy to the victim but under the law they don't need his permission or consent to make an arrest for a crime. But it's will Smith so they werent going to...."

According to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department, Render was in the process of being released in the early hours of Monday morning.

"On Sunday, February 4, just after 4pm, a male adult was detained and handcuffed for a physical altercation that occurred at the 700 block of Chick Hearn Court. The suspect was placed under arrest and was transported to LAPD Central Division," a statement said.

"The suspect has been identified as 48-year-old Michael Render and booked for Misdemeanor Battery 243(A) PC, and is in the process of being released."

On Sunday Render won Best Rap Album for Michael and Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for his song "Scientists and Engineers." It was the first time Render had won a Grammy in over 20 years.