Actress Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor defended her King Richard co-star Will Smith for slapping host Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars ceremony. Speaking on The Daily Beast's Obsessed podcast on Wednesday, the 57-year-old actress said Smith was right to protect his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, after Rock made a joke about her shaved head.
Ellis-Taylor spoke highly of 57-year-old Smith while labeling 61-year-old Rock an "a**hole" during her podcast appearance. She expressed support for Smith's actions following the physical confrontation at the awards show, noting that Smith's marriage has taken a shocking turn of late.
"I know that he wanted to protect his wife, and I stand by that," Ellis-Taylor said. "I stand with him for that."
The altercation occurred during the 2022 Academy Awards broadcast when Smith walked onto the stage and slapped Rock across the face. Rock had delivered a joke targeting Pinkett-Smith, saying, "Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can't wait to see it!"
Pinkett-Smith's shaved head is the result of alopecia, a medical condition that causes hair loss. Broadcast footage showed Pinkett-Smith looking unamused and visibly rolling her eyes, which prompted her husband to strike the comedian.
After being struck, Rock told the audience, "Wow. Will Smith just smacked the s**t out of me." Smith returned to his seat and shouted back at the host, "Keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth!"
First Amendment Rights
Ellis-Taylor rejected the idea that free speech protections should shield offensive behavior during her podcast interview. "I think that, you know, this idea that First Amendment rights should protect everybody? I don’t think it should necessarily protect a**holes. I don't. I don't. I really don't, especially if you're causing harm," she said.
Just minutes after the physical outburst, Smith was announced as the winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in King Richard. He played Richard Williams, the driven father and coach who guided tennis legends Venus Williams and Serena Williams to stardom.
Ellis-Taylor earned a nomination at the same ceremony for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Richard's wife, Oracene 'Brandy' Price. She lost the award to Ariana DeBose, who won for her performance as Anita in West Side Story.
The film's ensemble cast also included young actresses Demi Singleton and Saniyya Sidney alongside Serena and Venus Williams.
Set Behavior and Consequences
Ellis-Taylor praised the Men in Black actor as a "caretaker" for the cast and crew while filming King Richard. She described Smith as the most caretaking actor she had ever worked with, emphasizing that he stood up for background artists on set.
"He just would not allow anybody to be treated poorly in his presence. He would just not allow it. And I cannot tell you how rare that is in this job," Ellis-Taylor said. She added, "I will always have a great deal of affection and care for him because he acted that way."
Smith faced significant consequences following the slap, although he was not arrested because Rock declined to press charges with police. The Academy banned Smith from attending the Oscars and all related Academy events for 10 years, though Smith chose to voluntarily resign from the Academy prior to the official ruling.
The day after the incident, a remorseful Smith issued an apology to Rock on social media, writing, "I was out of line and I was wrong." Smith added, "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."
Rock addressed the physical impact of the slap a year later during an interview on Good Morning America. "Anybody that says words hurt has never been punched in the face," Rock commented.
