Serena Williams has spoken publicly for the first time about actor Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars last year.
Smith played the tennis legend’s father in the biopic “King Richard,” which Williams produced with her sisters.
During an interview on “CBS Mornings” on Wednesday, host Gayle King spoke about the incident, noting that “‘King Richard’ had that moment at the Oscars.”
“How did you feel about that?” he asked Williams.
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“I thought it was such an incredible movie, and I feel like there was an incredible movie after Questlove that was overshadowed,” the 23-time Grand Slam winner replied, referring to “Summer of Soul,” the winner Oscar. documentary that was being awarded when the altercation broke out.
“But I also feel like I was in a position where I was under a lot of pressure and I made a lot of mistakes,” she added. “And I’m the type of person who says, ‘I’ve been there.’ I made a mistake. It’s not the end of the world.'”
“We’re all imperfect and we’re all human and we’re kind to each other,” she added, telling viewers that kind of sentiment was “often forgotten.”
At the 2022 awards, Rock joked onstage about an appearance by Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who talked about alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss.
After hearing the joke, Smith angrily yelled at Rock before taking the stage to slap him.
Four months later, the “Bad Boys” actor posted a nearly six-minute video to his YouTube channel addressing the altercation. He said he was “deeply sorry” for his actions and called his behavior “unacceptable”.
Smith is barred from attending the Oscars, or any event or program related to the Academy Awards, for 10 years.
