Kevin Hart gives his opinion on the beef between Will Smith and Chris Rock six months ago, telling the public to 'stay out of' the two men's situation.
On the latest episode of the Drink Champs podcast, the 43-year-old comedian addressed the Smith-Rock's March 27 Oscars incident, saying the whole thing is between them.
Elsewhere in the talk, Kevin Hart complimented Will Smith while backing him in the aftermath of the Oscars incident, saying the actor needed time to heal.
Hart claims that Will Smith is a legend
Hart added that no one can deny Smith's standing as a ‘legend’ who paved the way for young aspiring movie stars to be given opportunities in Hollywood. He also compared Smith's contributions in the entertainment industry to those of veteran actor Denzel Washington, saying:
‘Will Smith is the reason why the idea of African Americans attached to global IP is normal. Studios took the gamble on more leads of color because of the work that Will Smith, and Denzel [Washington] were doing in the beginning, right? You need the faces that are giving the universal return. So I'm not gonna s--- on Will and act like he hasn't been and wasn't that guy’.
The comedian also stated that the King Richard star was also the one who gave performers a platform in the midst of Hollywood's racial intolerance.
He said:
‘And that this is no longer the world's problem, it is Will and Chris's problem. Let them deal with that. The world should step out of it and let them recover.’
He then continued, telling the public to let Will and Chris 'recover and get back to work as normal':
‘Let Will recover from it. Let Chris get back to work as normal. Let two men be men and figure that out if they choose to. If they do, they do. If they don't, they don't.’
What is Will Smith doing after the drama?
According to Entertainment Tonight in July, Hart shared that Smith was working on himself and pulling together after the controversy:
‘Will is apologetic, you know. He's in a better space, of course, than what he was after. People are human, and as humans sometimes we make mistakes. So it is not about talking about the past, it is about acknowledging the present and doing your best to move forward.’
Hart stated at the time that he is still friends with both Smith and Rock and hopes they can reconcile.
‘I can only hope that the two of them find a way to find some solace in that and move past it. I just like good energy. I love to see people be the best. I still love him; I still love Chris. You cannot judge a person by one thing. Ultimately, life goes on and people grow, so give him the opportunity to do so.’
A look back at the Oscars slap
Before receiving Best Actor at the Oscars, Smith came onstage and slapped Rock on live television after becoming enraged by a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. The joke was about Jada's bald head as she has alopecia, and Will thereafter claimed that the punchline was ‘too much for me to handle’, and he ‘reacted emotionally.’
Smith later departed from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was banned from entering any of the organization's events for the next ten years.
On a segment of her Red Table Talk show, 51-year-old Jada addressed the event, saying:
‘About Oscar night: My deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile. With the state of the world today, we need them both, and we all need one another more than ever. Until then, Will and I are continuing to do what we have done for the last 28 years, and that is [to] keep figuring out this thing called life together. Thank you for listening.’
Smith admitted that he had contacted Rock about discussing the event in a video apology released earlier this summer. He shared:
‘I have reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he is 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 am here whenever you are ready to talk.’
Read more:
⋙ This is what Chris Rock said about Will Smith's apology video
