The mother of comedian Chris Rock spoke out about a month after actor Will Smith slapped him at the Academy Awards, saying the incident was embarrassing for his family.
“[Smith] started using obscenities,” Rose Rock told South Carolina media outlet WIS-TV. “When he slapped Chris, he slapped all of us. He really slapped me.”
After Rock presented the award category, “No one was able to just be in the moment because everyone was sitting there like, ‘What just happened?’” Rose Rock added.
During the incident, Rock, who was presenting an award, make a joke about Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, prompting her husband to walk on the stage, approach Rock, and slap him. Rock declined to press charges, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The comedian’s mother, who is a motivational speaker, added that she believes Smith, 53, should personally apologize to Chris Rock, 57.
“I feel really bad that he never apologized,” she told the outlet. “I mean his people wrote up a piece saying I apologize to Chris Rock, but you see something like that is personal, you reach out.”
Smith issued an apology through social media several days after the slapping incident, coming as the Academy’s Board of Governors said it would place Smith on a 10-year ban from attending any Academy event. Minutes after the slap, Smith won the Best Actor award for his role in “King Richard.”
“The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards,” Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement earlier this month.
“The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage,” the Academy also said.
Meanwhile, Pinkett Smith issued a cryptic comment via a Facebook show that she hosts, in part.
“Considering all that has happened in the last few weeks, the Smith family has been focusing on deep healing,” she said via “Red Table Talk,” which is featured on Facebook Watch.
“Some of the discoveries around our healing will be shared at the table when the time calls. Until then …the table will continue offering itself to powerful, inspiring, and healing testimonies like that of our incredibly impressive first guest,” Pinkett Smith also said.
