DJ Jazzy Jeff has defended , calling his slapping incident as a ‘lapse in judgment’ on Smith’s part.
The 57-year-old star was discussing his Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star and music collaborator’s Oscar altercation during his Closed Sessions Legend Conversation and put the incident down to rare moment of Smith losing it.
The incident saw Smith hitting across the face on stage at the Oscars after the comedian made a joke about wife ’s hair, allegedly not knowing at the time that she suffers from alopecia.
‘Don’t get it twisted that it was something he was proud of,’ he said at his event which he also shared on Instagram. ‘It was a lapse in judgment, you know?
‘I think the thing that I’ve realised is I don’t know too many people that has had the least amount of lapse of judgment than him. I can name 50 times that he should’ve smacked the s*** out of somebody and he didn’t.
‘So for him to have a lapse in judgment, he’s human. And I think a lot of the criticism comes from the people who don’t think people like that are human.’
Other stars, including Bad Boys director Michael Bay, who directed Smith in two Bad Boys movies released in 1995 and 2003, have said that Smith’s behaviour was totally out of character.
Speaking to Yahoo! Entertainment, 57-year-old filmmaker Bay explained: ‘I’ve worked with him; he is not that guy.
‘I’ve never seen him lose his cool like that,’ he continued. ‘I thought it was set up ’cause I saw the smirk, and I’ve been on set when Will screws with people, when he’s joking with people.’
Following the much-derided and publicised incident, Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and the Academy has banned the actor from attending its events for the next 10 years.
In an open letter from the Academy, president David Rubin described Smith’s actions as ‘unacceptable and harmful’.
He said: ‘The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behaviour we saw Mr Smith exhibit on stage.
‘During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short — unprepared for the unprecedented.
‘Today, the Board of Governors convened a meeting to discuss how best to respond to Will Smith’s actions at the Oscars, in addition to accepting his resignation. The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards.
‘We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances. We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters and winners for their poise and grace during our telecast.
‘This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith’s behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy. We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted.’
Smith said in a statement that his behaviour was ‘shocking, painful and inexcusable’, and apologised to Chris and his family.
‘The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home,’ he said.
‘I betrayed the trust of the Academy, I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.’
He added: ‘There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.’
