The Oscars are just a few days away, but the 2022 ceremony is still being discussed a year after Will Smith slapped host Chris Rock on stage. Richard Williams, the father of pro tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, defended Smith, who played him in the film “King Richard,” in a recent interview.
Williams, 81, said in an interview with the U.K.’s “Good Morning Britain” that he would always support Smith, who received widespread criticism for the on-stage slap and was barred from attending the Oscars for ten years.
After Rock compared Jada Pinkett Smith to the movie character “G.I. Jane” because she is bald due to alopecia, Smith leaped to her feet and struck the comedian.
The father of tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams has broken his silence to defend Will Smith over the slapping of comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars.
In a world exclusive, @Noel_Phillips talks to Richard Williams. pic.twitter.com/F11kcb5ZzX
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) March 6, 2023
Smith apologized the next day to Rock, the Academy, and the Williams family, who were all in the audience that night. “I deeply regret that my behavior has tarnished what has been an otherwise beautiful journey for all of us,” he said in part.
“I think he did everything he needed to do,” Richard Williams said in an interview with Noel Phillips. “But I would never be disgusted with Mr. Smith. In fact, I admired Mr. Smith.”
Moments after the slap, Smith returned to the stage to accept the award for best actor for “King Richard,” in which he played Williams as he coached his daughters to greatness.
Smith’s ban from the Oscars should be lifted, according to Williams, and “it’s time for everyone to forgive” the actor.
Rock released a comedy special nearly a year after the slap, which included his first public mention of the incident. During this week’s Netflix live stream of “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” Rock joked that “anyone who says words hurt hasn’t been punched in the face.”
“You’re all aware of what happened to me when I was smacked by Suge Smith. Everyone is aware, “Rock was referring to Suge Knight, a former music executive, and convicted felon. “It is still painful. ‘Summertime’ is ringing in my ears.”
Smith also discussed the slap in an interview with Trevor Noah last November. “That night, I was going through something. And that in no way justifies my behavior “He stated. “You’re probably wondering what I learned, and the answer is that we just need to be nice to each other, man. It’s difficult. And I suppose the most painful thing for me was that I took my difficulty and made it difficult for others.”
