State Champ Radio

by DJ Frosty

Current track

Title

Artist

Current show
blank

State Champ Radio Mix

12:00 am 12:00 pm

Current show
blank

State Champ Radio Mix

12:00 am 12:00 pm


will smith

Page: 4

HipHopWired Featured Video

Source: Variety / Getty / Jada Pinkett Smith
If you hoped Jada Pinkett Smith was done talking, we are sad to report she is not.
Jada Pinkett Smith is currently on her whirlwind book tour for her memoir, Worthy, coming October 17, and recently stopped by the All The Smoke podcast to speak with hosts and former NBA hoopers Matt Barnes, and she had even more juicy nuggets to share, specifically about 2Pac.

Following the recent revelations that she and her husband, Will Smith, have been separated for years, Pinkett Smith revealed that her late bestie, 2Pac, asked for her hand in marriage during his 1995 prison stint.

Pinkett Smith believes that Pac would have kicked her to the curb the first chance he got out of prison.
Per HipHopDX:
“When I wrote about that in the book and when I had to talk about it, speak my words for the Audible version of the book, that was probably one of the more painful parts,” she said. “Seeing him there, the condition that he was in and having to leave him there. He was in bad shape. And so, when he asked me to get married, he was at Rikers [Island].
“I knew at that time that he needed somebody to do time with him, which I was gonna do anyway. He didn’t have to marry me to do that. I’m here. He needed a rock. Because of our friendship and everything we had been through together, he just wanted to feel that solidified foundation.”
She continued: “I promise you, he would’ve married me and divorced me as soon as his ass got out [of prison]. He would’ve! […] I just think it was the mind state that he was in. He wrote me this long letter, and even before ‘Pac went to jail, he was starting to shift in a certain manner. Good, really good.
“And I think that for him, he just felt like, ‘Okay, if I can tether myself, it’ll keep me on a trajectory.’ But trust me, he would’ve divorced me as soon as he — one thing he wouldn’t want me as is a wife. I know that for a fact! But I think just being at Rikers, it just kinda shook him a little.”

Jada Pinkett Smith Reveals Her & 2Pac Were Not On Speaking Terms
During their conversation, Pinkett Smith told Barnes and Jackson that she and 2Pac, whom she called her “soulmate” in a recent interview with Rolling Out, were not on speaking terms because of a heated argument.

It was only after his murder that she realized that holding onto past disputes was insignificant and that you “don’t hold on to bullsh-t. It’s not worth it.”
Welp.
You can fully expect more details to drop leading up to her memoir’s release.

Photo: Variety / Getty

HipHopWired Featured Video

CLOSE

Jada Pinkett Smith is finally speaking in detail about the infamous Oscars incident where her husband, Will Smith, smacked Chris Rock during the live broadcast. In a new interview, Jada Pinkett Smith reveals that she and Will Smith were separated for years and thought the Oscars incident was a skit for the show.
Jada Pinkett Smith, 52, sat down with People for an exclusive interview discussing the aftermath of the Oscars slap, her journey from Baltimore to Hollywood, and details about her marriage to Will Smith, 55, and the trials they’ve faced. It appears that the interview is in connection to Pinkett Smith’s upcoming memoir, Worthy.
In Worthy, Pinkett Smith shares details of her upbringing in Baltimore, Md., being raised by parents who struggled with addiction, and her stint as a drug dealer in the streets of Charm City. But what most want to know is what went on in the Smith’s fairytale marriage and what hurdles they’ve had to overcome.
Regarding the Oscars moment, Pinkett Smith was just as shocked as everyone viewing.
“I thought, ‘This is a skit.,’” Pinkett Smith said of the slap. “I was like, ‘There’s no way that Will hit him.’ It wasn’t until Will started to walk back to his chair that I even realized it wasn’t a skit.”
Regarding their marriage, Pinkett Smith shared that she and her husband are still working on their union but urged that love is at the center of it all.
“We’re still figuring it out,” Pinkett Smith said. “We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together. We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us.”
Naturally, any mention of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith gets the X timeline going and we’ve got reactions from all sides below.
Worthy will be released on October 17.

Photo: The Chosunilbo JNS / Getty

HipHopWired Featured Video

Source: Raymond Boyd / Getty
Will Smith is poised to explore a key year in Hip-Hop with a new original podcast on Audible featuring Queen Latifah, Chuck D, and more legends.

The Hip-Hop pioneer and actor Will Smith announced that the launch of a new podcast titled Class of ’88, last Thursday (Sept. 21). The podcast will explore rap music during 1988, a year which saw the ascension of Public Enemy as well as the growth of DJ Jazzy & The Fresh Prince along with the rise of women rappers such as Queen Latifah and Salt-N-Pepa.
[embedded content]

Related Stories

In the trailer, Smith begins: “Today, Hip-Hop dominates pop culture but it wasn’t always like that. Before 1988, people saw our music as a passing fad.” The eight-episode series will have Smith sit down and talk with Queen Latifah, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels, his bandmate DJ Jazzy Jeff, Rakim and Salt-N-Pepa.
Class of ’88 is produced by Audible along with Smith’s Westbrook production company. The podcast network Wondery as well as podcast production company Awfully Nice are also involved in the making of the series.
The focus of the series is notable, as 1988 was the year that Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff became renowned on the scene with their chart-topping song “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” The track from their second album He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper would earn them a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance. The duo were not on hand to receive the award as they took part in a boycott of the Grammys along with other rap artists due to the inaugural performance not being televised.

“Hip-hop has been a central part of my life for over four decades,” Smith said when contacted by Billboard. “I’m hyped to share my first-hand experiences and those of some of hip-hop’s greatest legends as we delve into the origins of one of the most influential genres of music in history.”
Class of ’88 will be available to listeners on Audible and Amazon Music beginning October 26. Amazon Prime members can also stream the podcast without ads. Check out the trailer above.

HipHopWired Featured Video

Source: Medios y Media / Getty
Sixteen years after Will Smith’s I Am Legend hit theaters (his last sci-fi blockbuster film, After Earth, bombed horribly), it’s finally receiving a sequel and it’ll feature another Hollywood heavyweight to help conjure up some much needed hype.

According to Variety, I Am Legend 2 is going into development and will star Will Smith alongside one of Hollywood’s hottest actors, Michael B. Jordan. Though details about the plot aren’t known, it will be interesting to see what direction the film goes in. By the end of the first film Will Smith had sacrificed his own life to save the lives of his fellow co-star Alice Braga. While there was an alternate ending in which Smith survived, many people didn’t get to see that as it wasn’t included in the theatrical release of the film.

Though the film was based on Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel of the same name, in the novel, Smith’s character of Robert Neville was the last man alive in a world of vampires and not mutated human beings like in the film. Many felt that the film should’ve stayed true to the vampire material from the book, but writer Avika Goldsman decided to go a different route with the screenplay and ultimately we got mutated humans who acted a fool. Now that he’s signed a multiyear deal with Warner Bros., he’s ready to revisit the mutated world that Robert Neville is stuck in.
Variety reports:
Goldsman revealed that the sequel will follow the ending of Matheson’s novel and the original film’s alternate ending in which Smith’s character survives.
“We trace back to the original Matheson book, and the alternate ending as opposed to the released ending in the original film,” he said. “What Matheson was talking about was that man’s time on the planet as the dominant species had come to an end. That’s a really interesting thing we’re going to get to explore. There will be a little more fidelity to the original text.”
So, are we finally getting vampires? Will the humans mutate into blood sucking demons of the night? We kinda hope so. Who will Michael B. Jordan play in the film? We have no idea. Naturally, many assume he’ll be Will Smith’s son for obvious racial reasons, but we doubt that will be the case. That’ll just be too cliché for the film. There is a chance we may once again see Alice Braga return as she’s expressed enthusiasm for a return to the franchise once she learned a sequel would be happening.

“I was super surprised and very curious,” Braga said. “I was almost jumping on the phone and saying, ‘Can I please be in it? Can I please be in it? Can I please be in it?’”
We sure hope so.
What do y’all think of I Am Legend 2 going into production? Let us know in the comments section below.

HipHopWired Radio
Our staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen…

HipHopWired Featured Video

CLOSE

Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhtoosByBeanz / @BeanzGotGamez / Nick Cannon
You can add Nick Cannon’s name to the list of people who are happy Red Table Talk was canceled.
N’Credible seed spreader Nick Cannon recently celebrated Jada Pinkett Smith’s Facebook Watch talk show Red Table Talk getting axed after Meta announced it was scrapping all its original programs.
The Wild’ n Out creator and host claimed “that toxic table” ruined the Smith’s “royalty” status. “If there was no ‘Red Table Talk,’ then he wouldn’t have slapped the shit out of Chris Rock,” Cannon said on his radio show The Daily Cannon last week.
“That was royalty, Will and Jada. Then they brought it to the table,” he continued. “I don’t want to know all this shit about y’all.”
Cannon’s statements echo social media chatter that the Pinkett-Smith clan overshare regarding their marriage. “I just want to mind my Black-owned business,” Cannon said. “I don’t want to be up in everybody else’s kitchen. Keep that sh*t to y’all selves.”
For those who have forgotten, the infamous Red Table Talk episode was where Pinkett admitted to her entanglement with R&B singer August Alsina. Will Smith became a popular meme because of his “distressed look”.
That would eventually lead to the infamous Oscars slap, where Will Smith slapped the taste out of Rock’s mouth for his distasteful joke about Pinkett Smith’s lack of hair, who suffers from alopecia.

“Too much honesty can get your ass slapped in the face,” Cannon said. “They made all them memes about my brother Will. They didn’t need to do that.”
Social Media Is Side-eyeing Nick Cannon
Cannon’s comments on Red Table Talk and about knowing too much about the Smith’s business have social media calling this a classic “pot calling the kettle black” situation.
The mogul has constantly been the talk of the news because of his baby-making ways with multiple women, the count currently at 12.
“This dude has how many babies by multiple women, but Will and Jada’s open marriage had him feeling a ways? So unserious,” one Twitter user wrote. 
Points were made.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.

Photo: Bernard Smalls / @PhtoosByBeanz / @BeanzGotGamez

1. Exactly

HipHopWired Featured Video

Source: Gabe Ginsberg / Getty / Sony Cinemacon
It’s Cinemacon time, and to kick things off, Sony showed off its slate of upcoming films.
Cinemacon is underway in Las Vegas, and Sony came through with some updates on a bevy of its highly-anticipated movies.
We already reported on the upcoming sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife and The Equalizer 3, but those were not the only films Sony has up its sleeve.

Kraven the Hunter

Related Stories

For those who have forgotten, Sony still owns the rights to Spider-Man despite his exploits in the MCU. The studio is still actively building out its cinematic universe around the web-slinger and his villain, despite how awful you thought the Venom and Morbius films were.
Another famous Spidey villain getting his feature-length film is Kraven the Hunter. The film’s star, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who played Quicksilver in the MCU, addressed the crowd in a prerecorded message IGN reports revealing that Kraven the Hunter will be the first R-rated Marvel movie for Sony.
A roughly 2-minute teaser trailer was shown, and in it, Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven is performing some gruesome kills. Russell Crowe is in the film and will play the father of Sergei Kravinoff. It was also revealed The Rhino is the antagonist in the film, and in a clip, Alessandro Nivola, who is playing the villain in the movie, skin can be seen changing into rhino skin.
The trailer also featured a brief shot of Sergei holding up his signature fur costume that Kraven wears in the comic books.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Source: Sony Pictures Animation / Sony
Attendees saw 14 minutes of the highly-anticipated animated sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Per IGN, the footage showed a grounded Miles Morales defying his parents’ orders to stay in his room to hang out with Gwen Stacy, aka Spider-Gwen.
The two young heroes swing through Brooklyn before stopping and talking about saving dimensions from collapsing, the possibility of dating each other, and how dangerous that could be for the both of them.
The footage ends with Gwen and Miles at a festival, with Gwen leaving and Mile’s mother showing up to comfort her son, giving him confidence and support for his next mission.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse swings into theaters on June 2.
Bad Boys 4
We knew Bad Boys 4 was on the way, and now we know the film is currently in production. Will Smith and his co-star Martin Lawrence appeared a Cinemacon virtually from the film set.

Lawrence told the audience the film was in its fourth week of shooting, with Smith adding he was “hyped” and “excited” about what he and the rest of the crew have been working on.
Of course, Lawrence threw in some comedy relief, adding, “glad they weren’t there because they’re being paid to be on set.”
You can read up on the other films discussed during the event by heading here.

Photo: Gabe Ginsberg / Getty

Will Smith has found a new bandmate. The Emancipation actor took to Instagram on Thursday (March 9) to share a video duetting 10-year-old bass player Ellen Alaverdyan.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

In the clip, Alaverdyan plays the smooth base line of Smith’s 1997 track, “Just the Two of Us,” while the 54-year-old raps the lyrics over the melody. “Wow!! @ellenplaysbass, this is FANTASTIC. You are the Sweetest!” he captioned the post, tagging his musician friends Jac Ross and ELEW to add their spins on the track.

“@willsmith THANK YOU FOR THIS MAGIC [red heart emojis],” the 10-year-old budding star captioned a repost of Smith’s video, and also left a sweet comment on his original post, writing “[red heart emojis] THANK YOU WILL [star emoji].”

In a recent sit-down with David Letterman for his Netflix series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Smith discussed how he felt about the “soft” reputation surrounding his 1980’s pop rap duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, though he never faced pressure to quit music. “Not pressure as much as it was always that I was soft. I hated that, being called soft.”

Watch Smith rap along with Alaverdyan’s bass line below.

HipHopWired Featured Video

August Alsina found himself mentioned in the news once again after Chris Rock took to the stage over the weekend in a new Netflix standup comedy special. During Rock’s set, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith were in the comedian’s crosshairs and while sources said Alsina found the jokes “funny,” the singer denied the rumors and hasn’t seen the special.
August Alsina, 30, and Pinkett Smith, 51, were previously engaged in what was framed as an “entanglement” and exposed the world to the inner workings of the relationship between Smith and his wife in grand detail. While rumors of their union have persisted for years, the revelation went far past anyone’s expectations.

Related Stories

Rock’s recent special, Selective Outrage, didn’t primarily focus on his issues with Smith or Pinkett Smith directly but it was the elephant in the room during the entire special. According to sources speaking to the New York Post, Alsina had a nice chuckle at the expense of the Smiths.
From the New York Post:
“August watched the Netflix special and he laughed,” a source told The Post. “He thought it was not only funny but truthful. That was the best part for him.”
However, a rep for August Alsina told Entertainment Tonight that the rumors their client watched the Rock special were false.
“Mr. Alsina has not seen Chris Rock’s special at all, as he’s been busy on tour,” the rep continued.

Photo: Joseph Okpako / Getty

It’s been almost a year since the slap heard around the world, when Will Smith stormed the stage at the Oscars on March 27, 2022, to smack Chris Rock across the face on live television.

The tense moment occurred after Rock made an onstage joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, during the Academy Awards ceremony. “Jada, I love you. G.I Jane 2, can’t wait to see it,” the comedian said about her shaved head — which, unbeknownst to Rock, is caused by the actress’ struggles with alopecia.

Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes in response, while Smith laughed. Shortly after, the King Richard actor ran up on stage to slap Rock, who attempted to continue his banter before Smith began shouting from his seat, “Keep my wife’s name out your f—ing mouth.”

In the year since then, Smith has issued a number of apologies, others who were present at the situation have spoken up about what went down and Chris Rock has make jokes about the incident throughout his comedy specials.

With the 2023 Oscars on the way, see below for a timeline of everything that has gone down between Smith and Rock since the slap.

March 27, 2022: Will Smith’s Acceptance Speech

Shortly after the incident, Smith won the best actor award for his portrayal of Venus and Serena Williams’ dad Richard Williams in King Richard. 

“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” Smith said during his acceptance speech, seeming to allude to the viral moment. He then mentioned some of his King Richard costars. “In this time in my life, in this moment, I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world. Making this film, I got to protect Aunganue Ellis, who is one of the most strongest, most delicate people I’ve ever met. I got to protect Saniyya [Sidney] and Demi [Singleton], the two actresses who play Venus and Serena. I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people.”

“Now I know to do what we do, you gotta be able to take abuse. You gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business you have to be able to have people disrespecting you. And you gotta smile and pretend that’s OK,” he continued, becoming increasingly emotional, tears welling up in his eyes. “Denzel [Washington] said to me a few minutes ago, he said, ‘At your highest moment, that’s when the devil comes for you.’”

Smith then delivered his mea culpa, though without mentioning Rock. “I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to my fellow nominees,” he said, continuing to tear up. “This is a beautiful moment and I’m not crying for winning an award. It’s not about winning an award for me. It’s about being able to shine a light on all of the people … Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father just like they said … just like they said about Richard Williams. Love will make you do crazy things.”

March 28, 2022: Chris Rock Declines to Press Charges

“LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program,” the department said in a statement, NBC reported. “The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.”

NBC News reported that spokespeople for Rock did not return requests for comment, and that senior sources at the LAPD said officers typically don’t take action in this kind of suspected misdemeanor battery investigation unless the victim wants to press charges or help fill out an incident report.

March 28, 2022: The Academy Releases Statement, Opens Formal Review

“The Academy does not condone violence of any form,” the organization tweeted. “Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.”

The Academy does not condone violence of any form.Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 28, 2022https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Later, in a statement to Billboard, the organization shared, “The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show. We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”

March 28, 2022: Will Smith Issues an Apology

Smith shared a statement via Instagram, apologizing for his actions. “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,” Smith wrote in a lengthy message. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

He continued, “I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us. I am a work in progress.”

See his post here.

March 29, 2022: Jada Pinkett Smith Calls For ‘Season For Healing’ 

Jada Pinkett Smith posted her own Instagram message amid the drama, declaring that “this is a season for healing.”

“And I’m here for it,” Pinkett Smith added in the post, which made no direct reference to the incident. See her post here.

March 29, 2022: Will Smith’s Mom Weighs In

Smith’s mother, Caroline Bright, shared her thoughts on the slap in an interview with Philadelphia’s ABC affiliate 6abc, calling the experience a “first” for her. “[Will] is a very even, people person. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him go off. First time in his lifetime … I’ve never seen him do that,” she said.

March 30, 2022: Chris Rock Breaks His Silence

The comedian spoke out publicly about the incident for the first time during his stand-up show in Boston. “How was your weekend?” he asked the crowd, who began laughing, as reported by Variety. “I don’t have a bunch of sh– about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend. I’m still kind of processing what happened. So at some point, I’ll talk about that sh–. And it will be serious and funny.”

The audience then broke into a chant, shouting “F— Will Smith,” which can be heard in the audio Variety posted on Instagram here.

April 1, 2022: Will Smith Resigns From The Academy

In a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Smith said he was heartbroken and would accept all consequences for his conduct.

“My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home,” Smith said in the statement. “I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.”

Smith’s resignation means he can no longer vote for the Oscars — but he can still be nominated for future Academy Awards, attend future ceremonies and keep the statue he won.

“We have received and accepted Mr. Will Smith’s immediate resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,” the Academy said in a statement. “We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18.”

April 3, 2022: ‘SNL’ Reenacts the Incident

In a later sketch in the episode, Jarrod Carmichael and Chris Redd poked fun at the slap. “Seat filler” Carmichael went up to Redd’s Smith, telling him he was such a fan of his and asked him for a selfie. In the background, voiceover can be heard of Rock’s G.I. Jane joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who has a shaved head and has been open about her struggle with alopecia.

“I don’t wanna sound corny, but you’re like my hero, man,” Carmichael told Redd’s Smith. “This is the coolest man in my life. I’m talking to Will Smith. Chris Rock just got up onstage.”

Redd’s Smith told Carmichael he’d be right back and went onstage to slap Rock, returning to his seat shortly after as if nothing was wrong.

“I like your tux, by the way,” Redd told Carmichael. “Look good, feel good,” he continued before turning his attention to the stage and shouting, “Keep my wife’s name out your f—ing mouth,” like Smith yelled at Rock at the Oscars on Sunday.

Watch it here.

April 4, 2022: Chris Rock’s Brother Kenny Weighs In

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Kenny shared that he thinks Smith’s apology was nothing more than a PR move. “No, I don’t accept it because I don’t think it was genuine,” he said. “I think his publicist and the people that work under him probably advised him to do that.” (Another of Rock’s other brothers, Tony, also said he does not accept Smith’s apology and said the entire fiasco was “foul.”)

He continued, “I might have looked at it differently had he initially apologized when he got on the stage and cried and accepted the award, but he didn’t, so, right there that tells me that it is something else.”

As for Smith remaining in the ceremony after slapping Rock, and later accepting the best actor award for his role in King Richard? Kenny (as well as other celebrities in attendance) believes that was a misstep on the Academy’s part.

“He should have been escorted out of there,” he said. “I hold them accountable for that. He could have went up there and did anything you wanted to my brother. It could have been much worse than what he did.” Kenny added that Smith “belittled my brother. He had no respect for him. … In my opinion, he embarrassed himself by doing that and his legacy by doing that.”

April 8, 2022: Will Smith Banned From Attending Any Academy Events for 10 Years

Smith will not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs for the next 10 years in the wake of his conduct. That means Smith will not be allowed to present the award to 2023’s best actress winner, a time-honored tradition at the Oscars.

Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson released an “open letter to our Academy family” about their decision, which you can read in full here.

April 23, 2022: Chris Rock’s Mom Speaks Out

Rose Rock, an author and motivational speaker, told WIS that the comedian is doing well but “still processing” the incident that led Smith to resign from the Academy. “I told someone, when Will slapped Chris, he slapped all of us, but he really slapped me,” she said. “When you hurt my child, you hurt me.”

When asked what she would say to Smith, Rose shared, “I have no idea what I would say other than, ‘What in the world were you thinking?’ Because you did a slap, but so many things could have happened. Chris could have stepped back and fallen. You really could have gotten taken out in handcuffs. You didn’t think. You reacted to your wife giving you the side-eye, and you went up, and you made her day because she was bowled over laughing when it happened.”

She added that she didn’t think the apology Smith posted to his Instagram account on the day after the ceremony felt genuine. “I feel really bad that he never apologized,” Rock said. “His people wrote up a piece and said, ‘I apologize to Chris Rock,’ but something like that is personal. You reach out.”

June 1, 2022: Jada Pinkett Smith Breaks Silence

On an episode of her Red Table Talk series, Pinkett Smith said, “My deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile.”

She added, “the state of the world today, we need ’em both. And we all actually need one another more than ever. Until then, Will and I are continuing to do what we have done for the last 28 years, and that’s keep figuring out this thing called life together.”

Watch the full episode here.

July 28, 2022: Chris Rock Addresses Will Smith Slap During Stand-Up Show

On his Rock Hart Only Headliners Allowed tour stop with Kevin Hart at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, Rock reportedly made one of the most specific references to date addressing his feelings surrounding the slap.

“Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face,” Rock, 57, said during his set, according to US Weekly, citing an unnamed eyewitness to the set. Rock also reportedly later referred to Smith — who has kept a low-to-no profile since the incident — as “Suge Smith,” seemingly a reference to the disgraced, currently imprisoned former Death Row Records CEO and strongman Marion “Suge” Knight.

“I’m not a victim, motherf–ker,” he added, saying he “shook that s–t off and returned to work.” Now, don’t get him wrong, Rock said, “yeah, that s–t hurt, motherf–ker. But I shook that s–t off and went to work the next day… I don’t go to the hospital for a papercut.”

July 29, 2022: Will Smith Issues Video Apology

Smith returned from his social media break with a video titled “it’s been a minute” to his YouTube page, answering questions regarding the Oscars incident and issue another apology to Rock, as well as Rock’s family.

While answering the question of why he did not take the opportunity to apologize for the slap during his acceptance speech after winning best actor, Smith said he was not in a clear state of mind. “I was fogged out by that point. It is all fuzzy. I’ve reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that, he’s not ready to talk. When he is, he will reach out. I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I am here whenever you are ready to talk,” he said.

Smith continued, “I want to apologize to Chris’s mother. I saw an interview [she] did, and that was one of the things I just didn’t realize. I wasn’t thinking, but how many people got hurt in that moment. I want to apologize to Chris’ mother, I want to apologize to Chris’s family, specifically Tony Rock. We had a great relationship. Tony Rock was my man. This is probably irreparable. I spent the last three months replaying and understanding the nuance and complexity of what happened in that moment. I’m not going to try to unpack all of that right now, but I can say to all of you, there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment. No part of me that thinks that is the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insult.”

Watch the video here.

July 29, 2022: Will Smith Reflects on ‘Horrific Night’ of Oscars Slap

During an appearance on The Daily Show With Trevor Noah this week, Smith called the situation a “horrific night.”

While he added that there were “nuances and complexities” to the moment, he “lost it” during the ceremony. “And I guess what I would say, you just never know what somebody is going through,” he continued. “I was going through something that night. Not that that justifies my behavior at all.”

Smith noted that there “was a rage that had been bottled for a really long time,” and that the most painful part of it all was that “I took my hard and made it hard for other people. I understood the idea where they say that hurt people hurt people.” Noah then pointed out how in Smith’s memoir, the actor shared that he grew up being afraid of conflict.

“It was a lot of things,” Smith said in response. “It was the little boy that watched his father beat up his mother, you know. All of that just bubbled up in that moment. That’s not who I want to be.”

Watch the interview here.

February 14, 2023: Academy President Reflects on Response to the Slap

Academy President Janet Yang reiterated during the 2023 Oscars Nominees Luncheon that the organization’s response to the 2022 ceremony was “inadequate” and that “we must act swiftly, compassionately and decisively” on similar issues in the future.

“As I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars,” Yang said. “What happened on stage was wholly unacceptable and the response from the organization was inadequate. We learned from this that the Academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions and particularly in times of crisis.”

“We must act swiftly, compassionately and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less from us going forward,” she added. “We are committed to maintaining the highest of standards while creating the changes we wish to see in our industry.”

March 5, 2023: Chris Rock Slams Will Smith in Netflix Comedy Special

During Netflix’s first live special Chris Rock: Selective Outrage!, the comedian finally addressed the smackdown at length — and didn’t hold back, Smith’s marital issues (in which Pinkett Smith acknowledged a relationship with singer August Alsina).

“Will Smith practices selective outrage,” Rock told the audience. “Outrage because everybody knows what the f— happened. Everybody that really knows, knows that I have nothing to do with that s—. I didn’t have any entanglements.”

He continued, “His wife was f—ing her son’s friend. OK, now, I normally would not talk about this s—, but for some reason, these n—-s put that s— on the internet. I have no idea why two talented people would do something that lowdown. What the f—? And we’ve all been cheated on. Everybody in here has been cheated on. None of us have ever been interviewed by the person that cheated on us on television.”

“She hurt him way more than he hurt me. Everybody in the world called him a b—-. I tried to call the motherf—er, I tried to call that man and give him my condolences, he didn’t pick up for me.” He continued by listing all the people who called Smith a “b—-” after that interview on Red Table Talk, including Charlamagne Tha God and The View. “Everybody called him a b—-, and who did he hit? Me — a n—a he knows he could beat. That is some b—- ass shit.”

Toward the end of the special, Rock admitted, “I loved Will Smith. My whole life, I loved Will Smith. I saw him open up for Run-D.M.C. … He makes great movies. I have rooted for Will Smith my whole life,” Rock said. “And now I watch Emancipation just to see him get whooped.”

Rock used the last minute of Selective Outrage to answer why he didn’t do anything back. “‘Cause I got parents,” Rock said. “‘Cause I was raised. And you know what my parents taught me? Don’t fight in front of white people.”

HipHopWired Featured Video

CLOSE

Source: Kirill Bichutsky / Courtesy of Netflix
You knew it was going to happen. During his Netflix life show on Saturday night (March 4), Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, in Baltimore, Chris Rock pretty much eviscerated Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith with all the pent-up slander he could muster, but it’s not being universally applauded.

By now you know the story, after a flippant joke Rock told about his wife during the 2022 Oscars ceremony, Smith proceeded to walk onto the stage and smack fire out of the comedian. There were apologies, suspensions, debates, more apologies, but Rock never really went in depth about the incident.
Until last night.

Rock had a whole set with some potent, and a-ight, jokes (we predict coming for Meghan Markle ain’t gonna fly), but you knew most people were waiting to here what he had to say about that. And he didn’t disappoint.
“I got smacked at the f*cking Oscars by this motherf*cker. And people like, did it hurt? It still hurts,” said Rock said. “I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”
But Rock saved the most fiery stuff for Jada, who he said “started this sh*t.”

“Everybody in here has been cheated on,” said Rock, referencing the Smith’s infamous Red Table Talk where they discussed Jada’s entanglement with August Alsina. “None of us have ever been interviewed by the person that cheated on us on television.” After mentioning how everyone was calling Smith a b*tch after that moment, Rock added, “Everybody, and who’s he hit? Me. A ni**a he knows he could beat. That is some bitch ass sh*t.”
However, although he got his full roast on, there are people who don’t think he did much to help the situation and are quite critical of his performance. For instance, he still called Pinkett-Smith out of her name and plenty of people are taking note of potential misogynoir.

Another recurring criticism is Rock telling people to be careful of what they say in front of white people, but he sure had know problem going in on Black people in front of them himself.
See more reactions in the gallery. Tell us what you think in the comments.