Richard Williams has made it clear that he supports Will Smith amid the Chris Rock controversy and the recent Netflix comedy special. Richard said he saw nothing wrong with Oscar’s famous slap and called for Will’s Oscar ban to be lifted.
Since the slap incident, Will has publicly apologized and said he has reached out to Rock personally. He made a video saying his reaction was emotional and he was ashamed of his actions.
Rock spoke about the slap and Jada Pinkett Smith’s sordid relationship in his Netflix special.
Read on to learn more.
Richard Williams Stands By Will Smith’s Action
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In 2022, Will Smith had a huge controversy over slapping Chris Rock on stage at the Academy Awards ceremony. Richard Williams, the father of Serena and Venus Williams, who will be portrayed in “King Richard,” has now defended the actor.
Richard did an interview on “Good Morning Britain,” where he said he didn’t see anything wrong with Will slapping Rock. He said per Insider, “I will always stand by his side. I think he has done the best he has to do, but I will not be disgusted with Mr. Smith. Actually, I appreciate Mr. Smith.”
Richard Williams Calls for Academy Ban to Be Lifted
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During the interview, Richard also asked the Oscar Academy to lift the 10-year ban imposed on Smith after the incident. He criticized the negative treatment of Will and the length of the sentence, saying, “It should only be a day or no more than a week.”
The retired tennis coach also explained that he “felt no pity” for Rock after the slap, implying that Will was justified in defending Jada Pinkett Smith, his wife. Richard said, “I’m 81 years old but when I was about 51 or younger I almost killed the damn thing, so I think Mr. Smith has done a lot by now.”
He added, “It’s time for everyone to forgive Will Smith.” Last year, after the viral incident, Richard’s son, Chavoita LeSane, spoke to NBC News and said his father would not “forgive anyone hitting another person” unless the person acted in self-defense.
Will Smith has apologized several times for the incident
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Since the incident, Will has made several public apologies and even resigned from the Academy days before they announced his ban. Although the “Shark Tale” actor has yet to issue a direct apology to Rock, he confirmed late last year that he had reached out in person.
In an official video addressing the incident, Will wrote, “Violence in all its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at the Academy Awards last night was unacceptable and inexcusable.” The actress explained that the joke about Jada’s alopecia got over her and caused an emotional reaction.
Will apologized to Rock, saying, “I was out of line and I was wrong. I’m ashamed and my actions don’t show the man I want.” The “Emancipation” star further apologized to the Academy, the show’s producers and audience, the Williams family and her fans around the world.
Chris Rock Calls Will And Jada Pinkett Smith
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Rock, however, has yet to make any official statement about the slap, preferring to make various jokes about it in his comedy sets. His latest Netflix special, “Selective Outrage,” contains his first lengthy statement about Will, Jada, and the incident.
Rock also talked about the infamous “Red Table Talk,” where Will and Jada discussed his affair with singer August Alsina. The special is Netflix’s first live stream event and takes place in Baltimore, Maryland, which happens to be Jada’s hometown.
During the special, Rock said, “You’ll know what happened to me, getting hit by Suge Smith. People are like does it hurt? Still sick! I got ‘Summer’ in my ears.” She added, “But I’m not a baby victim, you’ll never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying, you’ll never see that. It will never happen. I took the punch like Pacquiao.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
