Willow Smith wants everyone to give peace a chance. In an Instagram Story posted 48 hours after her father Will Smith made global headlines for smacking comedian Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Academy Awards, the 21-year-old singer wrote, “You know who’s going through a lot right now? Literally everyone. Just be kind.”
And while Willow’s post did not directly reference the incident, it was in keeping with the harmonic message shared by her mother a short time earlier, in which Jada Pinkett Smith wrote, “This is a season for healing and I’m here for it.”
Both women preached understanding in the wake of the outrage spawned by Will Smith’s actions at Sunday’s Oscars, during which he stormed the stage and attacked Rock after the comedian made a joke referencing Pinkett Smith’s bald head; she suffers from the autoimmune disease alopecia, which causes hair loss.
Brother Jaden, 23, had earlier offered up his own cryptic comment, tweeting “And That’s How We Do It” in the hours after the broadcast, during which Will Smith also won his first Oscar, taking the best actor award for his role as controversial tennis family patriarch Richard Williams in King Richard.
After hitting Rock with an open hand and shocking the typically unflappable comedian into a brief stunned silence, Smith twice shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—ing mouth!” from his front-row seat beside Pinkett Smith; the entire Smith family celebrated Will’s win at the Vanity Fair afterparty, where the actor/rapper danced to some of his biggest hits with his Oscar in hand.
While he did apologize to the Academy and his fellow nominees on Sunday night while accepting the best actor trophy, but not to Rock, Smith posted an Instagram apology to the comedian on Monday. “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” Smith wrote. “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. 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.”
The shocking Oscar’s moment has elicited a startling array of responses, including takes from Smith’s surprised mother, “traumatized” show co-host comedian Amy Schumer, “sickened” comedian/actor Jim Carrey and Rock’s brother, fellow comedian Tony Rock, who tweeted his reaction on Tuesday night. Replying to a question from a fan about whether he approved of Smith’s apology, Tony Rock said “no” and offered a peace sign emoji to the comment, “@TONYROCK Let Bro know he’s a better man than people give him credit for. As bad as the situation was, it could have gone completely sideways if he hadn’t been the adult in the room.”
Tony Rock also encourage his followers to check out his brother’s award-winning 2009 documentary about the history of Black hair, Good Hair, writing, “Be sure to watch Good Hair since the narrative is now changed to all my bro does is disrespect women of color.”
Rock has declined to press charges against Smith, according to the Los Angeles Police Department; the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a statement on Monday in which it condemned Smith’s attack on Rock, revealing that it has “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.”
