Will Smith Talks ‘Horrific’ Oscars Slap in First Late Night Interview Since Incident: ‘That Is Not Who I Want to Be’ - Rolling Stone

After shocking audiences by slapping comedian Chris Rock during a unrecorded broadcast of the Academy Awards, Will Smith returned to late-night tv connected Monday and sat down with Trevor Noah connected The Daily Show.

The interrogation comes 8 months aft the Oscars contention and a bid of online statements regarding the incident. When Noah asked Smith astir his acquisition pursuing the infamous moment, Smith said it was a “horrific night.”

“There’s galore nuances and complexities to it. But astatine the extremity of the day, I conscionable — I mislaid it, you know?” the histrion continued. “I was going done thing that night, you know? Not that that justifies my behaviour astatine all. It was a batch of things. It was the small lad that watched his begetter bushed up his mother, you know? All of that conscionable bubbled up successful that moment. That is not who I privation to be.”

Smith, who won an Oscar for best histrion for his portrayal of Richard Williams successful King Richard conscionable minutes aft the incident, besides told the host, “I conjecture the happening that was astir achy for maine is, I took my hard and made it hard for different people.” When talking astir what helium learned successful the months after, helium besides said, “I understood the thought erstwhile they accidental wounded radical wounded people.”

Noah, who is leaving the show at the extremity of adjacent week, offered his ain position connected the controversy.

“I emotion Chris. I’m friends with him. I emotion you, but this is fucked up. I cognize that arsenic Black people, Black radical get unneurotic and go, ‘What was Will doing? What the hellhole happened?’ Noah said. “A batch of Black radical were like, ‘He should spell to jail.’ Like, you request to unbend yourself.”

Smith besides shared a idiosyncratic anecdote pursuing that night.

“My nephew is nine. He is the sweetest small boy. We came home. He had stayed up precocious to spot his uncle Will,” Smith recalled. “We are sitting successful my room and helium is connected my thigh and helium is holding the Oscar and helium is conscionable like, ‘Why did you deed that man, Uncle Will?’ Damn it. Why are you trying to Oprah me?”

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The 2 besides discussed Smith’s upcoming film, “Emancipation,” a movie inspired by the communicative down the 1893 “Whipped Peter” photos, including the infamous “scourged back” photo, which showed the backmost of a erstwhile enslaved named Gordon covered successful scars from whippings. In an earlier video interview with Fox 5, Smith said helium would “completely understand” if radical aren’t acceptable to see Emancipation, but hopes “the powerfulness of the film” volition flooded the headlines that person followed him each year.

Noah ended the interrogation by saying that the contention “shouldn’t define” Smith’s legacy. “I don’t deliberation immoderate 1 of america successful beingness deserves to beryllium defined by our 1 fuck-up,” Noah told the actor.