Richard Williams, father of tennis all-star Serena Williams, has rushed to Will Smith‘s defense after Chris Rock eviscerated the Oscar winner in his Netflix comedy special, Selective Outrage.
The legendary tennis coach told Good Morning Britain that he felt no sympathy for Rock after Smith walked on stage and slapped him across the face at the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony. Referring to Smith, Williams said:
“I’ll always stand by him. I think he has done the best thing he needed to do, but I would never be disgusted with Mr. Smith. Matter of fact, I appreciate Mr. Smith.”
Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Williams in the biopic King Richard last year. Shortly after the shocking incident, Williams published a statement opposing the unprovoked use of force.
“We don’t know all the details of what happened, but we don’t condone anyone hitting anyone else unless it’s in self-defense.”
However, the 81-year-old has since revised his opinion on the matter. He says he understands Smith’s point of view and would have taken similar action if he were younger and someone insulted one of his loved ones.
“I’m 81 years old but when I was about 51 years or younger, I almost killed any damn one, so I think Mr. Smith done a great deal now. It’s time for everyone to forgive Will Smith.”
Williams described the ten-year ban on Smith by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science as excessive. He called on the entertainment community to forgive Smith.
Rock waited a year to ridicule Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, honing material, which he unloaded during his show. Leaving no stone unturned, he doubled down on his joke about Pinkett Smith’s alopecia that incensed Smith at last year’s Oscar ceremony. The comedian mocked the state of the Smiths’ marriage. He suggested that Pinkett Smith’s infidelity with their son’s friend August Alsina was the source of Smith’s anger. He also argued that Smith was publically humiliated by the couple’s public discussion about it on her show Red Table Talk.
Understandably, Williams has a great fondness for Will Smith and his family. After all, the actor played a big part in helping to seal his legacy. At the same time, Chris Rock has a right to speak his mind irreverently without fear of violent retaliation.
