In a new interview with Billboard, Willow Smith opened up about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards ceremony.
According to Willow, the post-slap backlash against her father didn’t “rock me as much as my own internal demons.”
“I see my whole family as being human, and I love and accept them for all their humanness,” she explained. “Because of the position that we’re in, our humanness sometimes isn’t accepted, and we’re expected to act in a way that isn’t conducive to a healthy human life and isn’t conducive to being honest.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Willow spoke about her new album Copingmechanism, which she described as incredibly vulnerable, and something that emerged out of the struggles she experienced after having her heart broken.
“I used to think, ‘Why are all these songs about heartbreak, and why does everyone care so much about this?’” she added. “Then I realized, when it happens, it really makes you feel like something is wrong with you.”
Due out Sept. 23, the LP will serve as the official follow-up to her 2021 album Lately I Feel Everything.
As for the Oscars slap, Willow’s comments arrived shortly after her father took to social media to discuss the incident for the first time since sharing his initial apology statement back in March.
“Um, I was fogged out by that point,” he said about the slap. “It’s all fuzzy. I’ve reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk and when he is, he will reach out. So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
Smith went on to issue apologies to Rock’s mom and family, saying he didn’t realize “how many people got hurt” by his actions.
