“Love will make you do crazy things”- Will Smith Apologize for Slapping Chris Rock

Will Smith made the 2022 Oscars telecast a memorable one after he slapped Chris Rock on stage for making a rather sensitive joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Rock was onstage at the Oscars to present Best Documentary, and he began sending barbs out into the crowd. After making a quip about Denzel Washington, Rock turned his attention to Jada Pinkett Smith, saying he was looking forward to seeing her in G.I. Jane II. (Pinkett Smith was sporting a buzzcut, just like Demi Moore’s character in the 1997 film G.I. Jane). But Pinkett Smith had been open about her struggles with hair loss and bald spots caused by alopecia.

Smith then took the stage to give Rock a resounding slap. Although it appeared to be a joke at first, Smith returned to his seat and yelled at Rock, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!”

Smith was called on stage to receive his award for best actor for acting as Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams, in King Richard.

While the Smith-Rock altercation initially had many wondering if it was some kind of stunt, any doubts were erased when Smith used his moment on stage to apologize for his actions.

“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” Smith said. “In this time in my life, in this moment, I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world. Making this film, I got to protect Aunjanue Ellis, who is one of the most strongest, most delicate people I’ve ever met. I got to protect Saniyya and Demi, the two actresses who play Venus and Serena. I’m being called on in my life to love people. And to protect people and to be a river to my people.”

Smith wiped away tears and continued: “I know, to do what we do, we got to be able to take abuse. You gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you gotta be able to have people disrespecting you and you gotta smile and pretend like that’s OK. … Denzel said to me a few minutes ago, ’At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you.’ I want to be a vessel for love. I want to say ‘thank you’ to Venus and Serena and the entire Williams family for trusting me with your story. … I want to be an ambassador of that kind of love and care.”

He continued, “I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment, and I’m not crying for winning an award. It’s not about winning an award for me, it’s about being able to shine a lot on all the people … and the entire cast and crew of King Richard and Venus and Serena and the entire Williams family. Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams! But, love will make you do crazy things.”

Smith signed off his time on the Oscars stage with a laugh: “Hoping the Academy invites me back!”