Will Smith on slapping Chris Rock at Oscars: ‘I lost it’

Actor Will Smith addressed the shocking moment he slapped and shouted a vulgarity at comedian Chris Rock for joking about his wife’s hairstyle at this year’s Oscars, saying: “I lost it.”

Appearing on The Daily Show With Trevor Noah on Monday night to promote his new movie, Emancipation, the actor recalled the incident that overshadowed Hollywood’s top awards ceremony in March.

Smith, who won his first Oscar, for best actor, for his role in tennis movie King Richard (2021) at that same ceremony, was subsequently banned from attending the Academy Awards for 10 years.

“That was a horrific night as you can imagine. There’s many nuances and complexities to it. But at the end of the day, I lost it,” Smith told Noah.

“I was going through something that night… not that that justifies my behavior at all. It was a lot of things. It was the little boy that watched his father beat up his mother… all of that just bubbled up in that moment. That’s not who I want to be.”

At the Oscars, Rock was on stage presenting an award when he made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, that referenced the 1997 film G.I. Jane in which actress Demi Moore shaved her head. It was unclear whether Rock was aware that Pinkett Smith has a condition that causes hair loss.

Smith marched onto the stage and slapped Rock. The 54-year-old actor has publicly apologised to the comedian and the film academy.

“I was gone. That was a rage that had been bottled for a really long time but I understand the pain,” Smith told Noah.

Emancipation, about a man who escapes from slavery, is to be released next month, making it eligible for the 2023 Oscars.