The Oscars evening was not just memorable for the film fraternity only but also for the tennis world. Venus and Serena Williams’ movie, King Richard, added another achievement to its long list of honors. American superstar, Will Smith, won the Oscar for Best Actor. He had played the lead role of Richard Williams in the movie. It was also Smith’s first award at the Oscars.

However, shortly before winning the award, he was involved in a controversy. After Chris Rock cracked a joke about his wife, Will Smith stepped on to the stage in anger and slapped Chris Rock. It led to mixed reactions from people around. Recently, Denzel Washington opened up on the incident involving the two.

DIVE DEEPER: ‘I Was About to Smack Her With My Racket’ – Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Revisits Her Ugly Spat With Sloane Stephens

Denzel Washington reveals what happened after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock

At the 2022 International Leadership Summit, T.D. Jakes asked Denzel Washington about his thoughts in the aftermath of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock. Revealing the details, Denzel said, “Well, there’s a saying when the devil ignores you, then you know you’re doing something wrong. Wait a minute, I’m not done now. You know, the devil goes ‘oh no leave him alone he’s my favorite’. Conversely, when the devil comes at you, maybe it’s because you’re trying to do something right.”

Further, he went on to add, “And, for whatever reason the devil got a hold of that circumstance that night and fortunately, there were people there, not just me but others in the gap, Tyler Perry came right immediately right over there with me and some prayers you know keep it keep it. I want to say what we talked about but for the grace of God go any of us. You know, who are we to condemn. I don’t know all the ins and outs of this situation. But, I know the only solution was prayer, the way I saw it.”

Serena Williams left stunned by Will’s reaction

Earlier, the 23-time Grand Slam champion had posted a story on her official Instagram handle in the aftermath of the controversy. Giving a startling reaction, she said, “I just sat down because I was like I gotta put their drink down because…”

Serena was accompanied by her husband, Alexis Ohanian, and sister, Venus Williams, at the Academy Awards. They were representing their movie, King Richard, which had been received five nominates at the Oscars. The evening had begun on a glorious note for them, with Beyonce performing to the tunes of ‘Be Alive’, a song from the King Richard film.

Top Stories

Rafael Nadal Faces New Injury Blow Only a Year After His Emotional Tennis Exit

Taylor Townsend Makes Unexpected Coaching Call After Career-Defining Success

Roger Federer Sparks Comeback Frenzy After Huge Australian Open Announcement

Andy Roddick’s Sudden Return to the Court Turns Heads 13 Years After Retirement

Coco Gauff’s Vision Pays Off as Two Tennis Influencers Achieve Major Breakthrough

Nonetheless, the controversy apart, Will Smith won the biggest trophy of his already illustrious career. Additionally, he also apologized for his knee-jerk reaction. During his Oscar acceptance speech, Smith honored Serena and Venus’ father, Richard Williams. His kind words left the Williams sisters emotional. They were proud of the love that their film had garnered throughout the world. All’s well that ends well!

WATCH THIS STORY: Top Racket Smashes at the Australian Open