Fashion Nova has shocked its customers with a text message about a sale, which featured a reference to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock across the face at this year’s Oscars.
While onstage at the Dolby Theatre Sunday night, Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia, comparing her bald head to the character in the movie GI Jane. The joke was not well-received by Smith, as he walked onto the stage and slapped Rock across the face.
Once he got back to his seat, the King Richard star screamed: “Keep my wife’s name out your f**king mouth.” In response, Rock said it was “a GI Jane joke,” prompting Smith to once again tell the comedian to keep Pinkett Smith’s name “out of [his] f***ing mouth.”
That following day, Fashion Nova sent out a text to its customers about a one-day sale, using the words “slapped” and “Rock,” in reference to the surprising Oscars incident, which has been shared on social media.
“Fashion Nova: We SLAPPED 40 per cent Off the ENTIRE Site!,” the text reads, posted via Twitter. “It’s Time To ROCK New Spring Looks…Today Only.”
On Twitter, many people said that they thought company may have taken the text a step too far.
“The Fashion Nova marketing team will stop at nothing,” one tweet reads.
“Fashion Nova is crazy for this one,” a Twitter user wrote.
Another joked: “The devil works hard but Fashion Nova works harder.”
A few people emphasised how the text was inappropriate because the retail company was making humour out of violence.
“Received this promo text from @FashionNova yesterday,” a tweet reads. “Maybe a good way to stay relevant, but I don’t prefer to joke about violence. (Especially when speaking for a brand)”
However, some were very amused by the text, one of which said: “They never fail to capitalise on the mess in the world, and I love it.”
Smith has since apologised to Rock, the Academy, and the Willams family, as he received the Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Richard Willaims in King Richard, a film centred on Serena and Venus Williams’ tennis careers, as they had their father as their coach.
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behaviour at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” he wrote on Instagram. “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.”
“I deeply regret that my behaviour has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us,” he added. “I am a work in progress.”
The Independent has contacted Fashion Nova for comment.
