Celebrities
Serena Williams addresses Will Smith’s Oscars slap
“We’re all human,” said Williams, who has kept silent about the now-famous incident - until now.
Will Smith stole the headlines by inspiring tennis fans and cinema fans alike with his performance as Serena Williams’ father Richard, and the sports ace has now spoken out to defend his behaviour at the Oscars in 2022.
Despite a magnificent performance, the film was somewhat overshadowed by the controversy of the slapping incident, and Williams opened up to share her take on the incident.
Smith stepped up on stage and slapped Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
“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,” she told CBS Mornings.
Defence of Smith
“I also feel that I’ve been in a position where I’ve been under a lot of pressure and I’ve 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,’” she continued.
“We’re all imperfect, and we’re all human and let’s just be kind to each other, that’s often forgotten a lot.”
Smith’s apology
“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family...” Smith said in his speech after the incident, causing more outrage from those angry the incident took place.
Smith later publicly apologized and expressed his regret over the incident, which became one of the most talked about pop culture moments of the year.
“I was fogged out by that point. It’s all fuzzy. I’ve reached out to Chris, and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk and when he is, he will reach out,” Smith said.
“So, I will say to you, Chris. I apologize to you, my behavior was unacceptable, and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
Despite the apology, The Academy has banned Smith from attending any of the organization’s events for the next decade.
Richard Williams’ reaction
“We don’t know all the details of what happened,” Richard Williams, through his son Chavoita LeSane, told NBC News.
“But we don’t condone anyone hitting anyone else unless it’s in self-defense.”
Richard is father of both Serena and Venus Williams and coached the two young women to become some of the best female players in tennis history.