Richard Williams, the man who Will Smith played in his best actor Oscar-winning performance, has spoken out about the actor’s high-profile incident in slapping comedian Chris Rock.
Richard Williams Condemns Will Smith’s Behaviour At The Oscars-‘We Don’t Condone Anyone Hitting Anyone’
Will, for his part, lost all control when he became outraged by Chris’ joke concerning his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. The jokes particular reference to Jada’s hair loss issues triggered Will, given that Jada’s struggles with Alopecia have been well documented.
While Will has apologised in the aftermath for his actions, the very fact of the matter is that Richard did not take to this behaviour kindly.
In an official statement, a representative for Richard said: “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.”
These comments fit in line with what the Academy Awards have said in their response. And given that Richard has also disapproved of what Will has done, it has naturally tarnished the actor’s biggest moment of his career.
His best actor Oscar performance will now be forgotten, as the history books will remember the slapping incident instead. And yet, during the course of his acceptance speech, Will seemed to hint that Richard would have stood up for his family too, but did not go as far as stating that he would have been violent.
In his speech at the time, Will remarked: “Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family.” The response on social media was much the same. A significant proportion of people got behind Richard’s comments, with some even demanding that Will be stripped of his Oscar, as a result of the disrespect he has shown.
One person wrote: “That’s very Richard Williams of him. I agree though.” It is clear that Will made a huge mistake. Whether he can overcome this is anyone’s guess. And based on what we have seen so far, who knows whether he will be accepted into the public arena like he was before.
Time will tell. So there you have it folks. What did you think about this? If you liked reading this article, then check out our other features on the Daily Soap Dish. Please also visit The Over Timer for all of the latest exciting news on all of your favorite daytime television soaps.
