Will Smith stated that he slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage at the March Oscars due to “bottled” wrath.
The actor has given his first interview since the incident, which he characterized as “a terrible night.”
On The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, he stated, “You know, I was going through something that night.
Not that this in any way justifies my behavior. Smith elaborated that there were “many nuances and complexity” involved, but concluded, “I just – I lost it.”
After Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife’s shaved head, Smith stormed the stage at the Hollywood awards presentation. Jada Pinkett Smith has alopecia, a disorder that causes hair loss.
I recognize how shocking that was.
Previously, he stated that his wife had not asked him to confront Rock.
“I think what I’m trying to express is that you never know what someone is going through,” he remarked, without specifying what he meant.
The appearance on the late-night talk show in the United States was the first time Smith was publicly questioned about the attack.
“I appreciate how shocking that must have been for people… I was absent. He told Noah that his anger had been kept up for a very long time.
You can imagine that it was a horrific night.
In July, he uploaded a video to YouTube in which he answered fan-written questions about the Academy Awards. Before it, he had only released written statements regarding the incident.
He appeared on Monday night’s episode of The Daily Show to promote his upcoming Oscar-eligible film Emancipation, which will be released next week.
Smith, who collected this year’s prize for best actor after the slap, stated that the possibility that his new film will be “tainted” during the following awards season was “killing me to death.”
The 54-year-old has been barred from attending the Oscars for the next decade and has resigned from the Academy, which organizes the ceremony.
In a second interview, he was asked what he would say to critics who claimed it was premature for him to promote his work. He responded, “I understand if you know someone is not ready.
“I would completely respect it and permit them to be unprepared in their domain.
“My highest priority is my team. The members of this team have performed some of the finest work of their lives, and I hope that my actions will not harm them.
