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Will Smith even caught his mom off-guard with his Oscars altercation.
In an interview with 6ABC, Carolyn Smith shared her reaction to her son slapping comedian Chris Rock at the awards show over a joke about wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
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“He is a very even, people person. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him go off. First time in his lifetime… I’ve never seen him do that,” Carolyn said of the incident.
The Best Actor winner’s family don’t believe the moment should define Will, with his sister Ellen Smith telling the news station, “I’ve had conversations with him, and it really kind of broke my heart listening to the things he’s said he had to go through to get to where he is.”
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Sharing her excitement at her son winning the Oscar for his performance in “King Richard”, Carolyn said, “I know how he works, how hard he works…. I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting. When I heard the name, I was just, ‘Yes!’”
She added, “I am proud of him being him.”
On Monday, Will publicly apologized to Rock for his actions, writing, “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. ”