Will Smith delivered an emotional acceptance speech at the Academy Awards Sunday (March 27) after winning the best actor award for his portray of Venus and Serena Williams’ dad Richard Williams in King Richard. The win came shortly after the actor stormed the stage and appeared to hit presenter Chris Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith‘s alopecia, which he seemed to apologize to the academy for in his speech. Show
ExploreSee latest videos, charts and news  Chris RockWill SmithSee latest videos, charts and news “Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” Smith said, seeming to allude to the viral moment, which viewers at home were unsure if it was scripted or an authentic reaction. 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.” RelatedHere Are All the Winners From the 2022 Oscars03/27/2022“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.'” “It’s like I want to be a vessel for love. I want to say thank you to Venus and Serena Williams,” he continued as the screen suddenly cut to an image of the Oscars logo while Smith’s voice could still be heard. “I just spit. I hope they didn’t see that on TV — and the entire Williams family for entrusting me with your story. That’s what I want to do. I want to be an ambassador of that kind of love and care and concern.” 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.” He concluded: “Thank you, I’m hoping the Academy invites me back.” Pinkett-Smith wasn’t the only target of Rock’s jokes earlier in the evening. The comedian, who was presenting the award for best documentary feature, also made fun of Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz for being nominated the same evening, and joked about Denzel Washington having said “King Lear ain’t got nothing on me.” After Smith appeared to hit Rock, the comedian remarked, “Will Smith just smacked the s–t out of me,” which led the actor to demand that the comedian “keep my wife’s name out of your f—ing mouth.” Watch Will Smith’s acceptance speech below:
Will Smith's 2022 Oscars IncidentTHE STORY ArcOctober 25, 2022 July 29, 2022 June 14, 2022 Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox SubscribeRead More About
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The DailyA daily briefing on what matters in the music industry Email Address Sign Up Sign UpBy subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. What was Will Smith speech at the Oscars?“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” an emotional Smith said in his acceptance speech. “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.” He went on to apologize to the academy and to his fellow nominees, but not to Rock.
What did Denzel Washington say to Will Smith at the Oscars after the slap?Washington said Saturday that he prayed with Will Smith after the slap on the Oscars stage, adding, “for whatever reason the devil got ahold of that circumstance that night.”
What happened with Will Smith at the Oscars?It was one of the most infamous moments in Academy Awards history that became known as "the slap." The world could not stop talking about Will Smith striking comedian Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Oscars after Rock made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head.
Was Will Smith actually asked to leave the Oscars?“Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated,” the Academy said. “While we would like to clarify that Mr Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
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What did Will Smith say at the Oscars?
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