The mother and sister of Academy Award winner Will Smith have spoken up about the superstar’s shocking public smack of comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022.
Matriarch Carolyn Smith and sister Ellen Smith spoke about the Men in Black star from Philadelphia where the ultra-successful rapper-turned-actor was born and bred.
Smith’s mother said she was, like the millions watching on TV or in the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, shocked when Smith walked up on stage during Rock’s joke routine and delivered a loud slap on the comedian’s face.
“… That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him go off. First time in his lifetime … I’ve never seen him do that,” said Carolyn Smith.
Will Smith’s sister added that she is still crestfallen by some of the phone conversations that discussed the hell her brother has gone through to become an internationally successful superstar actor.
“I’ve had conversations with him, and it like really kind of broke my heart listening to the things he’s said he had to go through to get to where he is,” said Ellen Smith.
Nevertheless, the family rejoiced when Will Smith’s name was announced as the winner of the Best Actor Oscar for playing Richard Williams in the critically-acclaimed film King Richard.
“I know how he works, how hard he works … I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting. When I heard the name, I was just, ‘Yes!’ ” the mom said.
Will Smith did eventually issue a perfunctory and personal apology to Rock amid the overwhelming public backlash to his errant behavior onstage Sunday night.
“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,” Will Smith penned. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
Check out the report below.
