Will Smith Reveals Truth About His Bottled-Up 'Rage' That Led to Chris Rock Slap at Oscars
Will Smith discussed the contentious smack that happened at the Oscars in March with Trevor Noah during a visit on "The Daily Show," promoting his new film, "Emancipation," which aired on Monday night.
Smith described the infamous Will Smith Chris Rock slap as "a horrific night" and claimed he "lost it."
Smith had previously stated that you could never tell what someone was going through, and he was going through something that night. However, he insisted that this was not an excuse for his actions, according to CNN.
Smith admitted that his acts made it "hard for other people" and that this was what hurt him the most.
"And it's like I understood the idea where they say hurt people hurt people," he said. "That was a rage that had been bottled for a really long time."
Noah continued by referring to Will Smith's memoir, saying that he understood Smith's position but that he "stood up for the wrong thing at the wrong time" at the Oscars.
"It was a lot of things," Smith replied. "It was the little boy that watched his father beat up his mother, you know. All of that just bubbled up in that moment."
Will Smith stated that he was not who he wanted to be at that moment.
In July, Smith took to social media to apologize for the smack, and the Academy also punished him by barring him from the Oscars for ten years.
Will Smith Says His Nephew Humbled Him After He Slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars
Smith claims his young nephew humbled him when he returned home many hours after the incident, even though he was seen engaging in heavy drinking with his loved ones right after it occurred.
His nine-year-old nephew is the most adorable little child, according to Smith. After getting home, his nephew waited for his uncle Will all night.
He stated that the boy was sitting on his lap while holding the Oscar in the kitchen.
Then, his nephew asked, "why did you hit that man, Uncle Will?"
"Damn it. Why are you trying to Oprah me?" He answered.
Glamour noted that Smith hoped the public would forgive his impulsive behavior on Oscar night and still see "Emancipation."
He commented, "The one thing that is killing me is 'Emancipation' is Antoine's masterwork," before praising cinematographer Bob Richardson and co-star Ben Richardson for doing the best job of their careers.
Will Smith Claims He Forgives Himself
Smith says he finally permitted himself to make mistakes. He told Noah that he had to forgive himself for being human.
"I had to find the space for myself within myself to be human."
The Cassius Life said that Smith said he always wanted to be the hero that helps others out of sticky situations, like Superman, but now he knows he is just a normal human being with the opportunity to go out and contribute in ways that can make him happy and hopefully help others.
Meanwhile, no word has been on the production of any of Smith's next films, including "Bad Boys 4," since co-star Martin Lawrence and Sony CEO Tom Rothman issued their guarantees of its progress during the summer.
The sequel to Will Smith's Netflix film, "Bright 2," was already having production issues before the controversial Will Smith Chris Rock slap, but "I Am Legend 2," which features Michael B. Jordan, appears to be moving forward.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: Will Smith - "Emancipation" - From The Daily Show with Trevor Noah