The movie based on Richard Williams came out in 2021, carrying the name King Richard. Shortly after its release, it took over the charts and claimed many awards. Thereafter, it maxed out the limits of being successful by winning 5 awards out of 6 nominations at the Oscars. The night of the event was vibrant, but something took everyone by surprise.

Will Smith received a nomination in the best actor category for portraying Richard Williams in King Richard. However, one action of his single-handedly brought the entire energy of the event down. Smith got provoked by a joke made by Chris Rock and followed his anger to slap the latter. The incident called for a response from Richard Williams.

Richard Williams Weighs In

Richard Williams, the man from whose point of view the entire movie is crafted seems to have a very little knowledge of what exactly happened. While speaking to NBC news via his son Lesane, he admitted, “We don’t know all the details of what happened.”

However, he sure gave his stance on the matter by saying, “We don’t condone anyone hitting anyone else unless it’s in self-defense.”

Will Smith might have lost his temper because the joke was based on his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair. She suffers from alopecia, which causes intensive hair loss and therefore causes baldness. It’s very obvious that Will would be touchy on that matter.

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However, slapping someone in a room full of an audience for a joke might be taking it a bit too far.

Will Smith’s Apology

Later that night, Will Smith lifted the academy award for best actor, and he apologized for his behavior while giving a speech after accepting the award. Although Smith didn’t include Chris Rock in his apology while on the stage, he wrote a note doing the same the day after the event night.

“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong and I am embarrassed. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.” He wrote.

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Will’s action could cause him a permanent ban from the Academy Awards. Although now that he has accepted his fault and apologized to Chris Rock, the ban will mostly be averted. Moreover, Will has received his first Oscar this year and for an actor of his caliber, there are very high chances of more.

His portrayal of Richard Williams has won him BAFTA, Critics Choice, and Golden Globe along with his Academy Award.