Will Smith, 54, Reveals "Rage That Had Been Bottled For a Really Long Time" Led To The Infamous Oscar Slap

Will Smith recently broke his silence on the infamous Oscar slap.

Will Smith sits down with Trevor Noah.Photo by"The Daily Show with Trevor Noah"/YouTube

On March. 27th, 2022, a night intended to be the celebration of a lifetime achievement, the Philadelphia native's career came crashing down in one fell swoop -- more accurately, one fell slap.

Just hours before receiving the Oscar for best actor for his role in "King Richard"(his first ever), Will stormed the stage to slap host Chris Rock in a fit of rage. The infamous slap went viral on social media and led to a 10-year banning from future Oscar events. Will has also since resigned from The Academy, making him ineligible to win honorary awards in the future.

It's been over a year since the incident, and yesterday, Will sat down with Trevor Noah on an episode of "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" to discuss his latest film, "Emancipation". And what he's learned since the self-described "horrific night."

Will said,

“There are many nuances but at the end of the day, I just lost it. I was going through something that night...You know, you never know what's going on with people… we just gotta be nice to each other, you know… it’s hard. And I guess the thing that was most painful for me is I took my hard and made it hard for other people... I don't want to be that person."

Knowing Will personally, and his backstory, Trevor shared his point of view. That from the outside looking in, the slap seemed to be a misplacement of emotions.

“You know, in your book, you talk about growing up so afraid of conflict... it's like you stood up for the wrong thing at the wrong time.”

Trevor's reference is to Will's 2021 book, "Will", where he described the traumatic childhood that shaped his acting career. Trevor went on to outline how we live in a unique time with the necessity for a uniquely thick skin. And how, as a celebrity, Will is expected to not let it affect him.

"People have said some sh*tty things about you and your family... you're a human being... and [people, the internet, etc.] it's becoming relentlessly sh*tty."

The infamous Will Smith / Chris Rock Oscar slap.Photo byABC News/abcnews.com

Unfortunately for everyone involved, it was a culmination of rage erupting at the wrong moment. During the 20-minute interview, Will admitted his wrong-doing, agreeing that his emotions don't justify his actions, while agreeing with Trevor's assessment, saying:

"It was a lot of things you know... It was the little boy that watched his father beat up his mother — all of that just bubbled up in that moment."

Earlier this year, Will released an apology video on his YouTube channel, titled "It's been a minute...". But this was the first in-depth interview Will has done since the incident. And, the initial responses on social media seem to be that of moving forward, by re-accepting Will Smith as an actor, as opposed to an endless stream of Oscar memes.

Capping the interview off, Will shared,

"I had to forgive myself for being human."

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