King Richard has stirred the hearts of many. The movie depicts the story of Richard Williams in shaping the careers of his daughters, Serena Williams and Venus Williams. These daughters went on to become two of the best tennis players in the world. However, the movie also brought some controversies along with it.
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 19: (L-R) Serena Williams, Will Smith and Venus Williams attend the 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 19, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
The leading actor, Will Smith, had slapped the host, Chris Rock, which caused an uproar in the industry.
The incident
Serena Williams and Venus Williams have assisted in the movie’s making. The movie has brought a lot of admiration and love. It was nominated for six Oscars which ended up with Will Smith bagging Oscar for the best actor. But his name did not stay in the limelight only because of that.
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He slapped Chris Rock across the face about a joke that he made about his wife.
It took the audience by shock. He then went back to his seat and seem displeased as he was seen hurling words at Chris Rock.
Jay Leno’s take
Comedian Jay Leno commented considers Will Smith to be a good guy. Commenting on the incident, he said, “To me, the thing that’s most disturbing wasn’t the slap, because he was kind of smirking after he slapped (Rock)”. He added, “It was the yelling of the obscenities.” After the incident, the Academy responded by stating that it will investigate in the matter in some time.
Leno further iterated, “What are you investigating? It had to be the most recorded assault in history. I saw the ack of his shoe. I saw Chris’ ear. There were so many cameras on this incident. I know sometimes things are just what they appear to be.”
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 13: (L-R) Venus Williams and Serena Williams with Champagne Collet & OBC Wines as they celebrate the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Champagne Collet & OBC Wines)
He contested the actions of the Academy after the incident, as it was all visibly recorded.
Serena Williams and Venus Williams’ stand on the incident
The incident has caused two factions in the world, one defending Will Smith and the other one against his actions. Jim Carrey, Kathy Griffin and Howard Stern have taken a stand against Will Smith. The Academy has banned the actor from Oscars for a decade.
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Serena Williams (R) of the USA celebrates with her father Richard Williams and sister Venus Williams after her Ladies’ Singles final match against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland on day twelve of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 7, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Serena Williams and Venus Williams have yet to take a stance toward the actions of Will Smith. The players have maintained their silence on the issue. Before the incident, both of them had made their admiration for the actor clear. However, things have come to a stall now and people are waiting for their statements about the incident.
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On the tennis front, both the sisters have not been active on the court for a while, but Serena Williams has dropped hints of her participating in the Wimbledon.
What do you think about the Smith-Rock incident?
Written by
Edited by
Vibhanshu Kumar