It’s been less than 24-hours since Will Smithopen-hand smacked Chris Rock across the face during the 94th Academy Awards for making a distasteful joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and everyone from celebrities to athletes and influencers have chimed in and reacted to the shocking moment.
Now, Smith’s former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star Janet Hubert took to her different social media accounts to stand with her friend and commend his actions.
“I cannot tell you how many times I have wanted to slap the mess out of so many folks who have disrespected me,” Hubert tweeted on Monday. “Will stood up for his wife, Chris Rock is always disrespecting Black women. Mean spirited hides behind comedy.BULL.”
The OG Aunt Viv actress elaborated on this thought even further on her Instagram, saying that she is proud of Will and how “sometimes you have to slap back.”
“So PROUD OF YOU! Yes there is only so much one can take...sometimes you have to slap back,” she wrote in the caption. “Celebrate the win...nothing else matters. Both actions were incorrect but Chris didn’t need to go there. Met him once… it was enough for me...very mean spirited. #kingrichardfirthewin”
While Will Smith slapping Chris Rock might seem random in the moment, the two actors have some history. Rock notably joked about the couple during his monologue for the 2016 Oscars.
Smith apologized to the Academy during his acceptance speech for his Best Actor award and then took to Instagram on Monday to tell Rock that he was sorry for hitting him.
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,” Smith wrote. “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.”
Rock has yet to say anything publicly about the incident.
