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“Denzel [Washington], He Grabbed Me Up”: After Slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, Will Smith Makes Honest Admission About Last 6 Months in Front of Former NBA Stars

Published 12/02/2022, 5:30 PM EST

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Will Smith made an appearance on the latest episode of former NBA Stars Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes’ All the Smoke podcast. In the episode, the trio discusses Smith’s new movie, life in general, and of course the infamous Oscar incident. While talking about the same, Will Smith made an honest admission that involved 2-time Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington. This admission left the two former NBA stars in awe of the greatness of the Hollywood superstar.

Six months ago, during the Oscars, Will Smith walked up to the stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock. The incident transpired after Chris Rock had made a joke about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. While the 2021 Academy Award winner is now banned from the Oscars for ten years, he has apologized to Chris Rock for his actions.

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Having said that, Smith received support from NBA champion Stephen Jackson on the issue. Jackson claimed that he understood the intention behind Smith’s actions. Subsequently, Smith opened up about the role Denzel Washington has played in his life for the past six months.

Will Smith opens up to former NBA stars about support from Denzel Washington

During the Oscars, after the slap, video footage showed that Denzel Washington pulled Will Smith to the side and whispered something in his ears. He said, “In your highest moments, be careful; that’s when the devil comes for you.” Right after this, the duo with actor Tyler Perry quickly prayed to settle the tense emotions in Smith.

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Since then, Denzel has been a big supportive force in Will Smith’s life. During the podcast, Smith admitted that Denzel has been a real friend to him during this tumultuous time. He said, “Denzel grabbed me up in these last six months. He’s real real.” Matt Barnes added, “you leaned on him, love that for you.” 

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The duo then asked Smith a question. They said, “If you could see one guest on our show, who would it be?” However, Jackson stated that there was a catch involved. The catch was that Smith had to help them get this guest on their show. After thinking for a few seconds, the veteran actor asked them if Denzel Washington had been on the show before. The two hosts went gaga-gaga over this statement.

All they managed to say for a few seconds was, “wow, oh wow.” Stephen Jackson then proceeded to yell, “Shut the front door.” This sent everyone on air into a fit of laughter.

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Watch this story: 5 times Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal had Heated Fights on Inside the NBA

What’s your take on Will Smith and Denzel Washington’s relationship? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Shriya Rajachandra

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Shriya Rajachandra is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. She earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism, Psychology, and Communicative English. Shriya previously interned at The New Indian Express, but her favorite journalist, Marcus Thompson motivated her to start writing about basketball.
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Edited by:

Satagni Sikder