Actor Will Smith has made his first public appearance since the 2022 Oscars incident where he slapped Chris Rock. Smith received The Beacon Award at the African American Film Critics Association Awards in Los Angeles for his role in the AppleTV+ film “Emancipation.”
He did not address the scandal during his acceptance speech and instead focused on the difficulty of his role in the historical drama, which required him to transport his modern mind to a time of inhumanity. Smith also shared his experience on set, including a brutal scene in which a white costar spat on him.
The director of “Emancipation,” Antoine Fuqua, was also honored with The Beacon Award.
Meanwhile, Rock will address the incident in his upcoming Netflix special “Selective Outrage,” which will be aired on March 4. He previously spoke about the slapdown in a show in Charleston, South Carolina, stating that it hurt and jokingly referencing one of Smith’s songs.
