Though we may have all moved past Will Smith's now infamous Oscars slap of Chris Rock back in 2022, it seems like the ordeal is still on the brain for the "Fresh Prince" star. And it seems like perhaps he's feeling a bit differently about it than before.
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As you well know by now, the "Slap Heard Around the World" sparked a myriad of reactions both inside and outside of Hollywood. In the immediate aftermath, Smith was remorseful and embarrassed, calling his behavior "unacceptable and inexcusable." In his direct apology to Rock, Smith said at the time that he was wrong, out of line and that his actions "were not indicative of the man I want to be."
The comedian himself has also seemingly moved past the incident, saying in an interview with E! back in March that he's focused on forgiveness and moving forward.
Now however, it looks like Smith is reflecting on the moment in a way none of us expected. As evidenced by a new freestyle rap video he released over the weekend, the "Emancipation" star stopped by "Fire in the Booth" with British DJ Charlie Sloth where he alluded to what happened--but didn't give off the fact that he was remorseful.
"If you talking crazy out your face up on the stage and disrespect me on the stage, expect me on the stage," he spit. “Jokers dish it out, cry foul when it’s time to take it. City full of real ones, wasn’t raised to fake it.”
Hmmm. Now these words are far cry from the ones we just told you about and the words he said in a followup apology video shortly after the slap happened.
"There is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment. There’s no part of me that thinks that’s the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect, or insults," Smith said at the time.
So is it "talk sh*t, get hit" or "I shouldn't have slapped the dog sh*t out of you and I'm sorry?"
Looks like the West Philly rapper may have done an about face, but he might be justified given Rock's comments about the ordeal during his Netflix special, "Selective Outrage" back in 2023. As we told you, Rock stood ten toes down on his decision to pick fun at Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith -- the very thing that triggered the slap in the first place.
"So I did some jokes about her, who gives a f*ck? That’s how it is: She starts it, I finish it. That’s what the f*ck happened. Nobody’s picking on this b*tch. She started this sh*t, nobody’s picking on her," he said in the special.
So, maybe this is Smith's way of matching his energy? Either way, we'll keep our eye out to see if this sparks any renewed beef between the two.
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