That would be more comparable to slapping him at an Oscars after party, which probably once again would have just been tabloid fodder.
The fact that this was on air made it more akin to slapping a coworker at a meeting in front of clients. That would be a more accurate comparison to what what happened than a Christmas party.
That being said anywhere I’ve worked the Christmas party slap gets you fired. I can’t imagine someone maintaining employment after that anywhere in the white collar world. Heck, I’ve seen folks fired for a lot less aggressive behavior toward coworkers.