Will Smith has finally done his first interview since the infamous Oscars moment that saw him slap Chris Rock across the face on stage.
The actor – who went on to win an Academy Award for King Richard that same night – chose to speak to Trevor Noah on The Daily Show last night.
Will has kept quite a low profile since The Slap, but will return to our screens soon in new AppleTV film Emancipation.
In his interview, he said he had a lot of ‘bottled rage’ which exploded in a very public setting after comedian Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head.
Will got visibly emotional when discussing his nephew’s reaction.
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He said: “My nephew is nine. He is the sweetest little boy.
“We came home. He had stayed up late to see his uncle Will and we are sitting in my kitchen and he is on my lap and he is holding the Oscar and he is just like, ‘Why did you hit that man, Uncle Will?’”
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He then took out his tissues and said: “Damn it. Why are you trying to Oprah me?”
“I was gone. That was a rage that had been bottled for a really long time,” Smith said.
Will then explained: “{It was a lot of things, it was the little boy that watched his father beat up his mother. All of that just bubbled up in that moment. That’s not who I want to be…”
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He also said: “There’s many nuances and complexities to it. But at the end of the day, I just – I lost it, you know.
“I guess what I would say is that you just never know what somebody’s going through. I was going through something that night, you know? Not that that justifies my behaviour at all.”
Flash back to March and the week of the Oscars, and the award ceremony host Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s alopecia, comparing her shaved head to GI Jane.
The joke didn’t go down well with the couple, needless to say, with Smith hopping up on stage to deliver a firm slap across Rock’s face.
He was later heard shouting: “Keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth” while Hollywood’s elite looked on in shock.
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His full statement at the time said: “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. 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.
“I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.
“I am a work in progress.
“Sincerely, Will.”
Featured image: Comedy Central
TV & Showbiz
Wayne Rooney joins the cast of Gary Neville’s The Overlap
Danny Jones
Wayne Rooney has secured a new job just a few months on from departing as Birmingham City head coach, with the Manchester United and England legend being named as the latest member of The Overlap team.
Set to join the cast of the popular Stick to Football online series alongside the likes of former teammates Gary Neville and Roy Keane, as well as the rest of the recurring panel.
Rooney is also set to feature on various other shows across The Overlap channel, including the likes of their regular fan debates and other interviews with athletes and well-known figures.
They announced the signing in true transfer window fashion as well.
As transfer expert Fabrizio Romano quips in the video, Rooney “has signed an agreement with The Overlap” and is expected to make his debut very soon
‘Wazza’ has appeared as a pundit on Sky Sports in recent weeks and has even been spotted playing some FIFA with comedy YouTuber AngryGinge as part of his pro clubs series, but hasn’t been in a steady role since being sacked as the Birmingham manager at the start of the year.
Having already appeared as a guest in one of the most popular episodes of Stick to Football and clearly sharing a strong chemistry with his old friends – as well as the likes of fellow Scouser Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott and Ian Wright – it looks to be a natural fit for the sport-based channel.
The 38-year-old revealed some pretty interesting details about his playing and managerial career last time around, not to mention some of the other offers he’s had since…
Rooney reiterated during his own interview that his primary focus is still on coaching and finding his next managerial role, but for the time being, he’ll be bringing the insight of another ex-pro to the popular YouTube channel.
Speaking on his latest move, the former striker said, “I’m excited to announce that I will be joining my good mate Gary Neville and the team at The Overlap to appear on the channel across some of their brilliant shows on YouTube and the podcast. I can’t wait to get started”.
With an episode from at least one of their series going out most weeks, you can expect to see the footballing legend back on the channel soon.
Featured Images — The Overlap/Wayne Rooney (via Instagram)
TV & Showbiz
Paddy McGuinness announces work-in-progress shows ahead of first stand-up tour in eight years
Danny Jones
Beloved British comic Paddy McGuinness is heading back out on his first live stand-up tour in eight years this year and has announced a new run of work-in-progress shows in preparation, including one right here in Greater Manchester.
McGuinness hasn’t been out on the live comedy circuit for the best part of a decade but announced his long-awaited return late last year, with the 50-year-old heading out on the road this October.
However, as he looks to get stage sharp shape ahead of his ‘Nearly There’ tour, Paddy has picked a pair of local North West venues for the WIP sets, with a trio of shows at The Met in Bury, as well as half a dozen over in Darwen, Lancashire.
Just like the tour itself, these are sure to go quickly.
The Phoenix Nights and Max and Paddy star is playing nearly half a century of shows across the UK and Ireland from this fall onwards before closing out his tour in Dublin by April 2025.
His last tour, ‘Daddy McGuinness’ ran from 2015-16 and got pretty decent reviews across the board, with the focus largely revolving around his journey into parenthood, but his latest material is set to be quite the shift in tone.
Speaking ahead of the tour, the former Take Me Out and Top Gear host said: “It’s been eight years since my last tour and there’s lots of things to laugh about! I’m looking forward to getting back in front of a live audience, along with running the gauntlet of cancel culture, clickbait and fake news!”
Paddy also made a bit of a stir around these parts recently after he declared Bolton as still being part of Lancashire. No likey, no lighty on that one – sorry Paddy.
But never mind all that, we’re glad to see him getting back to his roots. The Farnworth-born funny man was also recently given a permanent role on BBC Radio 2 after becoming a firm favourite amongst the listenership. He will now run the 11am-1pm slot on Sundays.
As for his tour, after his warm-up shows in Bury and Darwen, the household name will be heading to The Lowry in Salford in March next year, with other nearby shows in the likes of Blackburn and Blackpool.
Tickets for Paddy McGuinness’ work-in-progress dates go on sale Friday, 3 May at 10am.