Kevin Hart has voiced support for Will Smith in the wake of him slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.
During the live telecast in March, fans were shocked when the “King Richard” actor walked onto the stage and slapped Rock after he compared his wife Jada Pinkett Smith – who has the medical condition alopecia – to G.I. Jane.
During a recent episode of “Drink Champs,” Kevin Hart was asked for his take on the incident, and accordingly, he claimed that Will Smith deserves a break from the criticism.
“Dark times deserve f###### great light,” he began. “I’m not gonna s### on my brother. They both are my brothers, but I’m not gonna take the time to s### on them. Here’s why: Will Smith is a f######… he’s not only a legend, he’s not only a GOAT (Greatest of All Time)… Will Smith is the reason why the idea of African-Americans attached to global IP (intellectual property) is normal.”
The “Me Time” star continued, “Studios took the gamble on more leads of color because of the work that Will Smith (and) Denzel (Washington) were doing in the beginning… So, I’m not gonna s### on Will and act like he hasn’t been, and wasn’t, that guy.”
Elsewhere, Kevin Hart insisted that it’s time for people to give Will Smith and Chris Rock space.
“This is no longer the world’s problem, it’s Will and Chris’s problem. Let them deal with that. The world should step out of it and let them recover,” he concluded.
Smith apologized to Academy members and his peers during his acceptance speech for Best Actor at the film event and followed it up with a lengthy apology on Instagram the next day.
