Tyler Perry spoke out in defense of Will Smith amid controversy following his Oscars outburst, which came after Chris Rock joked about his wife Jada’s shaved head. (Jada suffers from a hair loss condition called alopecia.) Discussing the incident with Gayle King, Perry said that while he didn’t agree with how things were handled, he did sympathize with Smith. “Something triggered him,” the “Madea” star said (via Rolling Stone). “That was so out of everything he is.”
He went on to explain that Smith’s rash decision to attack Rock may have been due to his childhood trauma, which Smith talked about in his 2021 memoir “Will.” “In his book, there’s this moment about not being able to protect his mother [as a child]. I know that feeling,” said Perry, who himself has been open about his own tragic childhood. “I know that feeling of being a man and thinking about the little boy. If that trauma is not dealt with right away as you get older, it will show up in the most inappropriate, most horrible time.” Nevertheless, he stressed that Smith’s actions were wrong and that Rock was a “pure champion” with the way he handled the situation. He also stated that navigating the situation between his friends had been tricky. “Being friends with both of them has been very difficult,” admitted Perry.
Read Related Also: Kit Harington And Rose Leslie Are Expecting Their Second Child
Despite the incident, Perry has continued to stand with Smith as the “King Richard” star tried to move past the controversy and worked hard on redeeming himself.
