Although the Chris Rock–Will Smith scuffle at the 2022 Oscars has been over for weeks, social media is still seeing the aftereffects of the explosive incident. Many celebrities, including acquaintances from both sides of the divide, have spoken out about the incident and, predictably, backed the person to whom they were closest.
Rock’s youngest brother Kenny Rock has now joined the ranks of people who saw nothing wrong with the comedian’s jab at Smith’s wife, Jada. He claims that Rock was unaware of the actress’ alopecia and that he would not have made a joke about her hair at the Oscars if he had known.
He Said His Brother, Chris Rock Wouldn’t ‘Joke About That’
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Monday, Kenny discussed the contentious event involving his brother and the “King Richard” actor. He said that Rock’s joke was not as distasteful and cruel as many had assumed.
“The joke was funny. It wasn’t hilarious funny, but I know that if he knew that she had alopecia… he wouldn’t make a joke about that. But he didn’t know.”
When Rock made the joke about Jada Alopecia, he never imagined he’d get smacked and cursed at by Smith. Rock has kept a low profile since the incident, refusing to make any meaningful statements about the issue on his ongoing “Ego Death World tour,” which began a few days after the Oscars.
The comedian has also declined to say if he was aware of Jada’s Alopecia. It is uncertain whether or not he will do so soon.
Kenny Said He Feels Disheartened That He Could Not Do Anything To Help Chris Rock
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Kenny is the second member of the Rock family to criticize Smith’s behavior at the Oscars. Tony, another sibling, issued a statement almost immediately after the ceremony, condemning the “King Richard” actor’s reaction to Rock’s joke.
Kenny, the younger of the two, seemed to be taking the situation the most seriously, stating it hurts him greatly to witness his brother assaulted on live television and not be able to do anything about it. In his statement to the news publication, the 42-year-old stated that Rock presented no threat and questioned why Smith would choose to disparage his Hollywood colleague in front of millions of people.
Kenny Rejected Will Smith’s Apology About The Altercation
Smith went on stage to accept his best actor award for his performance in “King Richard” after slapping Rock for his jab at Jada. While many thought it would be a good moment to apologize, the father-of-two instead expressed his gratitude to the Academy for landing the award for the first time.
Rock’s brother has stated that Smith has something else on his mind and that he would not accept the actor’s apologies, which he gave the day after the award ceremony.
“No, I don’t accept it because I don’t think it was genuine,” he said. “I think his publicist and the people that work under him probably advised him to do that.”
“He belittled my brother,” he continued. “He had no respect for him. In my opinion, he embarrassed himself by doing that and his legacy by doing that.”
Jada Pinkett Smith Called For Healing In The Wake Of The Oscars’ Altercation
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Since the incident stormed the social media space, Jada has only made one public statement on her husband and Rock’s Oscars altercation. She posted on March 29 a simple message on her Instagram account saying, “This is a season for healing, and I’m here for it.”
On the other hand, Smith quit the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences following the harsh criticism he got from many quarters. Also, it’s not certain yet if Smith’s Academy Award will be revoked or not.
