Richard Williams condemns Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at Oscars; Here's what he said

Hollywood star Will Smith has arguably become the most talked-about actor after this year's Oscars ceremony. Along with winning the Oscar for best actor for the sports drama for King Richard, Will Smith's infamous slap controversy has become the talk of the town. The actor's violent response to Chris Rock's joke at Oscars 2022 is one of the major highlights of the show and has left netizens divided.

Smith's actions left fans and celebrities in splits with many supporting the actor's defence to protect his wife while others condemned him for his unjust reaction. Many celebrities including Nicole Kidman Cardi B, Trevor Noah and many others have expressed their reactions to Will Smith and Chris Rock's feud. Joining the bandwagon is Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams whose character Will Smith portrayed in the biographical sports drama film King Richard.

Richard Williams reacts to the slap controversy

The incident between Smith and Rock stunned audiences of the Dolby Theatre. Will Smith lost his cool in the ceremony and slapped Chris Rock after the latter joked about Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith's wife. Chris Rock said that he was looking forward to seeing Jada Pinkett Smith in G.I. Jane 2 playing the titular role, indirectly talking about her baldness, which is due to a condition called alopecia. As soon as this incident happened the audience there and the global audience at home were shocked and surprised.

Richard William also reacted to the news.“We don’t know all the details of what happened,” Richard Williams told NBC News, via his son Chavoita LeSane. “But we don’t condone anyone hitting anyone else unless it’s in self-defence.”

Like her father, Serena Williams also appeared to be shocked by the controversial moment. Shortly after the incident, Serena took to her Instagram stories and reacted to the same.

Serena Williams reacts to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock

After the controversy, Serena Williams took to her Instagram stories and expressed her speechlessness with her mouth open. In another video, Williams said, "I just sat down, because I was like, I gotta put that drink down." 

IMAGE: AP/SHUTTERSTOCK