Serena Williams is left too STUNNED to speak after watching Will Smith SLAP Chris Rock at the Oscars – before star defended his actions while accepting Best Actor win for playing tennis pro’s father on-screen
- Serena, 40, shared a short video of her face, jaw dropped, shortly after the violent outburst
- She is speechless in the initial video, but in a follow up said she had to sit down after hit happened
- While Serena didn’t explicitly condemn Will, she opened her eyes wide and appeared to give a disapproving expression
- Will starred in and produced King Richard, a film about Serena and Venus’ father, Richard Williams
- Later in the night, he won Best Actor for portraying the tennis pros’ dad, and said in his acceptance speech: ‘Love will make you do crazy things’
Serena Williams shared her too-stunned-to-speak reaction after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars on Sunday night.
Moments after the King Richard star, 53, stormed the stage to assault the comedian, 57, Serena shared her shock on her Instagram stories, sharing a short video of her face with her jaw dropped.
Her initial video has no words, allowing her facial expression to speak for itself.
‘I just sat down, because I was like, I gotta put that drink down because…’ she says in another video moments later, widening her eyes.
Serena Williams shared her too-stunned-to-speak reaction after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars on Sunday night
Serena shared her shock on her Instagram stories, sharing a short video of her face with her jaw dropped
Her initial video has no words, allowing her facial expression to speak for itself
Serena may have been hesitant to condemn Will too clearly, as she was at the Oscars last night for a film he starred in and produced.
She and her sister Venus, 41, also have executive producer credits for the film, which is about their father, Richard Williams.
But her Instagram videos — and in particular the second one, in which she gives side-eye and wrinkles her brow — appear to make the point that she didn’t approve of Will’s outburst.
The Fresh Prince star has certainly received backlash for the shocking moment, in which he reacted violently to a joke about his wife’s hair.
‘Jada, GI Jane 2, I can’t wait to see it,’ Chris said from the stage during the broadcast.
Jada has been grappling with hair loss since revealing her alopecia diagnosis in 2018, though the comedian may have been unaware that her hairstyle was due to illness.
While Will initially laughed at the joke, Jada did not, and moments later, he was up on stage.
A giggling Chris Rock said ‘uh oh’ but seemed unprepared for the moment Will hit him.
‘Wow, Will Smith just smacked the s**t out of me,’ he said as Will returned to his seat.
Most of the assembled audience of the world’s biggest stars assembled last night at The Dolby Theatre in LA — and millions of people watching around the world — initially believed it was a prank, continuing to laugh at what had happened.
Earlier, Serena had walked the red carpet in a custom pink Gucci gown
She and her sister, in Elie Saab, have executive producer credits on King Richard, a film about their father that Will stars in
Will is pictured on the red carpet with Jada earlier in the evening
But Smith’s meltdown continued when he returned to his seat as he yelled: ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth.’
The crowd fell into stunned silence as it became crystal clear the attack was genuine. Chris Rock replied to him, saying: ‘I’m going to, okay?’ before laughing uncomfortably saying: ‘That was the greatest night in the history of television.’
When LAPD arrived on the scene, Chris reportedly declined to press charges.
Upon winning Best Actor later in the night, Will addressed his outburst — and while he apologized for the distraction, he also appeared to defend his actions.
‘Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,’ he said. ‘In this time in my life, in this moment I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do.
Will starred in and produced King Richard and also won Best Actor on Sunday
He has known the Williams sisters for years (pictured in 2006 along with Brandy and Keke Palmer)
‘I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people.’
Ultimately, Smith apologized to the Academy and to his fellow nominees, but not to Rock.
‘Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father. But love will make you do crazy things,’ he said.
Later, at the Vanity Fair afterparty, he told the crowd: ‘It’s been a beautiful night — it’s all love’.
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