Rose and Chris Rock.
Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Chris Rock’s mother, Rose, has addressed the incident involving the comedian and Will Smith at the 94th Academy Awards.
The motivational speaker had an interview with local South Carolina news station WIS-TV where she spoke about the moment Smith walked on stage and slapped Rock after he made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
The 77-year-old said she was watching the ceremony at home and initially thought the slap was staged until Smith started using profanities.
“When he slapped Chris, he slapped all of us. He really slapped me because when you hurt my child, you hurt me,” she said.
Rose said that she had never met Smith, and when asked what she would tell him if she had the opportunity, she would ask him, “what in the world were you thinking?”
She continued: “You did a slap, but so many things could’ve happened from that. Chris could’ve stepped back and fallen. You really could’ve been taken out in handcuffs. You didn’t think.”
On how Chris has been doing since the incident, Rose said that he is doing well and as he said, “he is still processing it because that’s not something you expect.”
“I was really proud of the way Chris handled it,” added Rose.
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