Joseph Patel, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, David Dinerstein and Robert Fyvolent, winners of Best Documentary Feature for “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” pose in the press room during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California.
A moment stolen by the infamous slap.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Summer of Soul" producer Joseph Patel took to Twitter to share how he felt about accepting an Academy Award moments after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars 2022 ceremony on March 27.
Patel -- who went onstage with co-producers Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein and director Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson to accept the award for Best Documentary Feature -- emphasized that he was speaking on behalf of himself and not his "Summer of Soul" coworkers.
Reflecting on the moment, Patel shared that he felt Smith's actions were "selfish."
"It robbed the category of its moment," Patel wrote in a March 30 tweet. "It robbed the other excellent and amazing films of their moment to be acknowledged in what was a STRONG year for docs. And it robbed Summer of Soul and our team of our moment. Of a loud, enthusiastic cheer for a celebrated film."
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Patel explained that after the altercation occurred, many were left in a state of confusion.
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"Once we realized the Chris Rock/Will Smith interaction wasn't a bit, everything got turned upside down," he wrote. "Everyone was still trying to make sense of it when Chris persevered and started to read the nominees," later adding, "We were in shock walking to the stage -- not because of winning but because we, too, were still trying to make sense of what happened."
Patel also shared that his grievances extended to Rock as well for making a factually incorrect dig at Patel and his fellow producers, as they took the stage to accept their win.
"What I didn't hear in that moment walking to stage but was told of afterwards is what Chris Rock said when reading our name from the winner's card -- the winner is Summer of Soul ... Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson and ... four white guys.' WHAT IN THE ACTUAL F--K?????," he wrote.
Patel said that the comment from Rock angered him not only because there were three producers, rather than four, but because he is South Asian.
As the producer wrote, "The reason that makes me SO SO VERY ANGRY is because I was so proud to be one of a handful of South Asians to have ever won an Oscar in the history of the award."
Concluding his thoughts, Patel noted that he "probably never will" watch the ceremony again after the events that unfolded.
E! News has reached out to reps for Smith and Rock for comment.
