Fans Claim 'Family Guy' Predicted Will Smith Hitting Chris Rock at Oscars

Family Guy fans on social media are claiming that the show predicted Will Smith's on-stage assault of Chris Rock at the Oscars.

Smith has dominated discussion on Twitter in the aftermath of the Academy Awards, after he unexpectedly took to the stage to slap Rock across the face after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor later took to the podium at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles to accept the Best Actor award for his performance in King Richard, where he delivered a tearful speech in which he apologized to the Academy along with his fellow nominees.

While much of the online debate has centered on whether Smith's reaction was warranted, given that Rock made a joke about his wife's hairstyle (the result of her alopecia) several fans were quick to spot the similarities between the attack and a clip from Family Guy.

In a video originally posted to Twitter by Yostin Teja, Family Guy protagonist Peter Griffin can be seen angrily running up the aisle of a packed auditorium towards an unseen individual behind a microphone.

Drawn from the perspective of the person behind the mic, the clip ends with Peter punching said individual in a response that's not entirely dissimilar to that of Smith at the Oscars, albeit that Smith chose to slap rather than punch Rock.

The video has now been viewed over 1.5 million times online, with many fans claiming it effectively predicted Smith's reaction.

Journalist Deji Faremi was among those to tweet out the video, writing: "Family Guy predicted the Will Smith slap." Elsewhere, Twitter user OG_Flock shared the clip in the immediate aftermath of the incident, asking: "Anyone else have this Family Guy bit flashback for them as well?"

FortuneMash posted the video, writing: "Family Guy always predicts things," with Noopeland agreeing that: "Family Guy predicted it first." Kincade_younger, meanwhile, was in shock at the eerie similarities commenting: "Holy s*** Family Guy predicted that Will Smith would punch Chris Rock."

When watched in isolation the clip certainly appears close to reality, but in context the skit featured in Family Guy is markedly different.

Taken from the Season 3 episode "Stuck Together, Torn Apart", which first aired in January 2002, the clip is actually part of a cutaway gag prompted by Lois Griffin and their dog, Brian, who are discussing Peter's jealous streak.

Their discussion then cuts to a series of gags designed to show how Peter takes this notion to the hilarious extreme.

The skit featured in the video begins with Peter and Lois at a concert together. A singer on stage tells the audience: "this one is for all the ladies out there" prompting a jealous and visibly angry Peter to charge down the aisle and punch him.

This isn't the first time it's been claimed that a popular animated series has predicted future world events.

Earlier this year, fans of The Simpsons took to social media to posit the idea that the show predicted the Ukraine refugee crisis. Another episode from 2014, meanwhile, appeared to predict Virgin Group billionaire Richard Branson traveling into space.

Family Guy creator and actor Seth MacFarlane, meanwhile, has spoken openly about the show's strangely prescient musings on Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein.