Will Smith’s mum speaks out on his Chris Rock Oscars slap: ‘I’ve never seen him do that’

Caroline Bright said she was ‘surprised’ by her son’s actions

Will Smith’s mum has said she was “surprised” upon seeing her son slap Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.

During Sunday night’s (27 March) awards ceremony, Smith took to the stage to hit Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about his wife, fellow actor Jada Pinkett Smith.

Smith’s mother, Caroline Bright – who lives in Philadelphia, where Smith grew up – has since addressed his behaviour in a TV interview on Monday (28 March).

“He is a very even, people person,” she told Philadelphia news station Action News, adding that she was “surprised” by his actions.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him go off. First time in his lifetime,” she said. “I’ve never seen him do that.”

Bright said that she spoke to Smith the day after the Oscars (28 March) and advised him to get some rest.

She added that she was “proud” of Smith following his Best Actor win on the night.

Shortly after the on-stage incident, Smith received the award for his lead role in King Richard.

The actor broke down in tears as he accepted the prize and spoke about the importance of family. He also used the opportunity to apologise to the Academy and his fellow nominees for his actions, although notably not Rock.

He has since issued an official statement apologising to Rock for his behaviour, writing that his actions were “unacceptable and inexcusable”.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Bright said that Smith deserved to win the award, stating: “I know how he works, how hard he works. And he never half steps. I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting. When I heard the name, I was just, ‘Yes!’”

She added that she believed Smith should have been awarded prizes for all of his films.

The actor’s younger sister Ellen Smith, who was with Bright, also addressed the incident involving her brother.

Will Smith and Chris Rock on stage during the 94th Oscars (AFP via Getty Images)

“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,” said Ellen.

Read Smith’s full apology here.

Find the full list of 2022 Oscar winners here. See the latest updates and reactions from the dramatic ceremony here, and read about the biggest talking points here.