Vivica A. Fox claims she earned accolades for referring to Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards as “Black-on-Black crime.”
“People were genuinely thrilled with me because I was honest,” the 57-year-old actress told Page Six exclusively at the American Heart Association’s Red Dress Collection Concert on Thursday in Hollywood, Calif.
She said, “They were like, ‘Well, you told the truth!'” “Some people expected me to sugarcoat it since I know all of the persons involved, but I was unhappy — I mean, truly upset.”
When asked if she had spoken to Smith, his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, or Rock — who made the joke about Pinkett Smith that led to the smack — she responded no.
“Listen, no one ever expected it to happen,” she explained. “A very sad accident that took the air out of the building actually blindsided and upset all of us.” I told it like it was. I always tell it as it is. That, I believe, is how it should be done.”
Fox, on the other hand, praised Smith, 53, for speaking out about the incident shortly after it occurred when accepting the Oscar for Best Actor for his leading role in “King Richard.”
“I simply admire Will’s courage in standing up and apologizing that night, you know?” She informed us that the actor merely apologized to his “fellow nominees” and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. “Who knows what’s wrong with him, but we’ll pray for him.” Will Smith is still Will Smith. Will Smith is still Will Smith.”
“On the biggest night of his life, he committed the biggest mistake of his life, but he said, ‘I’ll accept full responsibility.’ Smith apologized to “everyone,” according to Fox, however he did not apologize to Rock, 57, until the next day in an Instagram statement.
The actress, who talked to us before the Academy announced Smith would be barred from all Academy functions for the next ten years, expressed her hope that the actor “will learn from this and move ahead.”
“You know what I mean when things happen to open your eyes?” She explained, “To help you grow up, to help you get out of your own way and out of your own bubble.” “Perhaps this will be a wonderful learning experience.”