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Willow Smith Says Reaction to Dad Will Smith’s Oscars Slap ‘Didn’t Rock Me’

“I see my whole family as being human,” Willow Smith told Billboard as she opened up about the reaction to her dad Will Smith smacking Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards in March

Willow Smith and Will Smith

Photo: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

Willow Smith has broken her silence on father Will Smith’s infamous Academy Awards slap.

The Red Table Talk co-host and Emmy nominee, 21, explained during a recent interview with Billboard that the ensuing media reaction after Will, 53, smacked Chris Rock onstage at the March awards show “didn’t rock me as much as my own internal demons.”

“I see my whole family as being human and I love and accept them for all their humanness,” she added. “Because of the position that we’re in, our humanness sometimes isn’t accepted, and we’re expected to act in a way that isn’t conducive to a healthy human life and isn’t conducive to being honest.”

Willow previously shared a cryptic message in some tweets shortly after her dad resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. “The meaning of life is found in challenge,” Willow wrote, adding: “Life is a series of reactions.”

The debacle at March’s awards show unraveled after Rock, 57, made light of Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss (Pinkett Smith, 50, has been open about living with alopecia). “Jada, I love ya. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see ya,” he joked.

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Chris Rock and Will Smith at the Oscars on March 27, 2022. Robyn Beck/getty

Will then walked onto the stage and slapped Rock in the face, leaving the audience and live viewers around the world stunned. “Oh wow,” said Rock as Will made his way back to his seat. “Will Smith just smacked the s— out of me.”

“Keep my wife’s name out your f—ing mouth!” Will yelled up to the stage after taking his seat. The King Richard star went on to win best actor later in the night.

He has since apologized to Rock and resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which banned him from the awards show for 10 years. He can still be nominated and win one of the coveted awards.

Will most recently shared another apology for Rock last week, posting a video across his social media accounts in which he extended an olive branch.

“I’ve reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk, and when he is he will reach out. So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable, and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk,” said Will.