Denzel Washington breaks silence on Will Smith slap controversy
Washington had consoled Smith at the Oscars right after he slapped Chris Rock
After consoling Will Smith following the infamous slap at the Oscars, two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington has now spoken publicly about what happened at last Sunday’s awards show.
Washington attended author and bishop T.D. Jakes’s leadership summit at Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday for a discussion about his career and faith, when Jakes asked him about what happened between Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars.
“Well, there’s a saying, ‘When the devil ignores you, then you know you’re doing something wrong.’ The devil goes, ‘Oh no, leave him alone, he’s my favourite.’ Conversely, when the devil comes at you, maybe it’s because he’s trying to do something right. And for whatever reason, the devil got ahold of that circumstance that night,” Washington told Jakes, according to Variety.
Washington was seen speaking to Smith, along with Tyler Perry and Smith’s publicist, during the commercial breaks at the Oscars after Smith slapped Rock for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.
During his acceptance speech for best actor, Smith thanked Washington and said that he told him” “At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you.”
“Fortunately there were people there,” Washington said on Saturday.
In the aftermath of slapgate, Smith has tendered his resignation from the body that awards the Oscars after his attack on Rock.
“I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate,” the actor wrote in a statement carried by multiple outlets.
“My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable.
“The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home.”