‘Bottled rage’: Will Smith‘s shock excuse for Oscars slap

In his first interview since the slap heard around the world, Will Smith explained what was behind the “horrific” incident. Watch video.

Actor Will Smith said his father’s abuse of his mother led to the “bottled rage” behind the slap of Oscars host Chris Rock.

In his first one-on-one interview since the slap, Smith claimed “a lot of things” were behind the “horrific night”, before recalling a childhood trauma growing up in a violent household.

“It was the little boy that watched his father beat up his mother. All of that just bubbled up in that moment,” Smith told talk show host Trevor Noah to promote upcoming film Emancipation.

US actor Will Smith slaps US actor Chris Rock on stage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. Picture: AFP.

Smith has previously revealed he thought about killing his father William Carroll Smith Sr, who died of cancer in 2016, to avenge the abuse of his mother Caroline Bright.

In his 2021 memoir “Will”, he wrote that his father was “violent” and an “alcoholic”, and not intervening in the abuse of his mother has impacted everything in his life since.

US actor Will Smith holds his award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for King Richard. Picture: AFP.

“When I was nine years old, I watched my father punch my mother in the side of the head so hard that she collapsed. I saw her spit blood. That moment in that bedroom, probably more than any other moment in my life, has defined who I am,” he wrote.

“Within everything that I have done since then — the awards and accolades, the spotlights and attention, the characters and the laughs — there has been a subtle string of apologies to my mother for my inaction that day,” he added.

Will Smith accepts the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for King Richard. Picture: AFP.

“For failing her in the moment. For failing to stand up to my father. For being a coward.”

Recalling the “horrific night” after Rock made a joke about his wife’s bald hairstyle, Smith said “that’s not who I want to be”.

“You know, there’s many nuances and complexities to it. But at the end of the day, I just — I lost it, you know?” Smith explained.

Will Smith with wife Jada Pinkett Smith at the Oscars, where Chris Rock joked about her bald head. Picture: AFP.

“And I guess what I would say, you just never know what somebody’s going through, you know? In the audience right now, you are sitting next to strangers, and somebody’s mother died last week. Somebody’s child is sick. Somebody just lost their job. Somebody just found out their spouse cheated.”

“It’s like — there’s all these things, and they’re strangers, and you just don’t know what is going on with people. And I was going through something that night. Not that that justifies my behaviour at all,” he added.

Will Smith poses with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, daughter Willow, and sons Trey and Jaden. Picture: AFP.

Smith said the violence of his childhood “bubbled up” in that moment on the Oscars stage, but that it does not justify his behaviour.

“I guess the thing that was most painful for me is, I took my hard and made it hard for other people. I understood the idea, they say hurt people hurt,” he said.

“I was gone. That was a rage that had been bottled for a really long time. I understand the pain,” Smith added, revealing that his family was also impacted by the violence.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Picture: AFP.

“My nephew is nine. And he is the sweetest little boy. He’s like — we came home, and it’s like, he had stayed up late to see his Uncle Will, and we are sitting in my kitchen and he is on my lap and he is holding the Oscar and he is just like, ‘Why did you hit that man, Uncle Will?’” Smith said, getting emotional from the memory.

“It was a mess.”

Smith said the biggest thing he’s been doing in the months since the slap was forgiving himself “for being human”.

“And trust me, there’s nobody that hates the fact that I’m human more than me … I’ve always wanted to be Superman. I’ve always wanted to swoop in and save the damsel in distress. And I had to humble down and realise that I’m a flawed human.”

Originally published as ‘Bottled rage’: Will Smith‘s shock excuse for Oscars slap