Almost a year has passed since Will Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars, yet Serena Williams is just now commenting on the incident. Smith portrayed Williams’ father in the film King Richard which earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor, but not before he shocked viewers by storming on stage to assault Rock.
Serena Williams argues the slap ‘overshadowed’ the film
During a conversation with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, Williams revealed that she felt Smith’s actions took attention away from both her family biopic, King Richard, and Questlove’s Summer of Soul, which received an award immediately after the slap. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Williams stated:
“I thought it was such an incredible film, and I feel that there was an incredible film after that with Questlove that kind of was overshadowed.”
While there’s no doubt that Smith’s rash decision left little interest left over for award winners, Williams lets him off easy. Her statement continues with:
“But I also feel that I’ve been in a position where I’ve been under a lot of pressure and made a tremendous amount of mistakes, and I’m the kind of person that’s like, ‘I’ve been there. I’ve made a mistake. It’s not the end of the world.’ We’re all imperfect, and we’re all human, and let’s just be kind to each other. So, that’s often forgotten a lot.”
The incident may not have been the end of the world for the former pro tennis player, but she wasn’t the one at the other end of those slaps, and to some, her statement could come off as dismissive.
Will Smith served the slap heard ’round the world
If you’re one of the few people who didn’t watch footage of the slap on repeat for hours back in 2022, here’s a recap of what happened. Rock took the stage to present the award for Best Documentary Feature and narrowed in on a few celebrities while making a few jokes. He turned his focus to Smith and his wife, actor and talk show host, Jada Pinkett Smith.
In an unscripted joke, Rock poked fun at Jada’s shaved head, saying, “Jada, I love ya. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see ya.” The footage shows Jada rolling her eyes at the comment while Smith laughs and claps his hands. Rock is confused by Jada’s reaction, calling his joke “a nice one.” However, seconds later, Smith strutted onto the stage and hit Rock across the face with an open palm.
Clearly shocked, Rock barely managed to respond as the audience looked on, assuming the two were performing a preplanned bit. Once Smith returned to his seat, he started yelling at the comedian, making it clear to everyone watching that this wasn’t a stunt. Smith explained his actions by shouting at Rock, “Keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth!”
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Rock responded with, “Wow, dude. It was a G.I. Jane joke,” however, this only prompted Smith to repeat himself. Ultimately, Rock saved the show with a hilarious comment saying, “That was, uh, the greatest night in the history of television.”
The aftermath of the slap
According to an ABC News interview with Oscar producer Will Packer, his heart dropped when Smith began yelling at Rock from his seat, and it became clear they weren’t performing a skit. Packer revealed that when he met up with Rock backstage, he just wanted to move past the incident and leave the venue.
The LAPD spoke with Rock, but the comedian refused to press charges because he didn’t want to make a bad situation worse. Academy members asked Smith to leave, but he refused. While they considered forcibly escorting him from the building, they ultimately decided not to, as per Rock’s wishes.
To make matters worse, Smith won the award for Best Actor for his role in King Richard and used his acceptance speech to apologize for his behavior. He apologized to everyone except Rock, drawing even more attention away from the film.
Will Smith blamed his wife’s ‘medical condition’
Smith publically apologized to Rock the following day in a post online, calling the slap “unacceptable and inexcusable.” He blamed Jada’s “medical condition” for his actions, saying:
“Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear, and I reacted emotionally.”
Jada first publically shared her struggle with alopecia on her social media pages several years ago and has since made several updates. Despite being banned from the award show for 10 years, he can still be nominated and win awards.
Serena Williams’ religious beliefs led her toward forgiveness
Williams has always been open about being a Jehovah’s Witness, and since retiring from tennis in 2022, she has taken more time to focus on her beliefs. According to JW.org, “Forgiveness also reflects understanding. A forgiving person understands that we all err, or sin, in word and deed.” It may explain why she was so quick to forgive Smith, as letting go of resentment is integral to her faith.
