Will Smith Slaps Chris Rock, Wins Oscar for “King Richard” • Tennis Dad Richard Williams Showed More Class Than Smith

The Academy Awards had a weird night.

The long-awaited event featured seating that was stupid. Why were the Williams sisters seated in the rear of the VIP area?  They belonged at the same table as Will Smith. Serena and Venus both looked gorgeous. Serena’s husband, Alexis Ohanian, looked really handsome too. But why weren’t they front and center with Will Smith?

Why was seating so totally weird. Was it pandemic seating? Whoever is in charge of seating should be fired. Ok. So the greatest American tennis players weren’t where they belonged front   and center. Maybe it was because Jada Pinkett Smith’s dress took up half the table. The gown had a weird long twisted train. OK, so we have the seating down.

What’s a casting director’s favorite four-letter word? NEXT. OK. So this happened next: Chris Rock made a remark about Jada’s shaved head. At first Will Smith laughed. Then he saw his wife’s eye roll and upset face. Will stood up and marched onto the stage and smacked slapped Chris Rock upside his head. And then returned back to his seat . From his front row seat he told Chris Rock  off . He was bleeped first dropping F Bombs … Luckily Chris just played if off. Then Diddy remarked on it. Then others, including Bradley Cooper and Denzel Washington, settled Will down.

The shame of the whole thing is it took the spotlight off and away from the genius of Richard Williams. The blood sweat and tears of Serena and Venus and the story of the Williams Family, which is why Will Smith was nominated in the first place.

It was disappointing Smith tried rationalizing his violence in his acceptance speech when he talked about “protecting his family” like Richard Williams.

Let’s get one thing straight: Richard Williams would have NEVER lost his cool like that! In fact, if you saw the film, Richard Williams stressed to his daughters the importance of keeping your cool under pressure. Will’s behavior was so out of place. His acceptance speech was off. He simply should have brought the Williams sisters up on stage with him as his bookends. Let them truly celebrate the moment…

Hollywood can break your heart. It was sad it took away the luster the Williams family deserved. Richard Williams has more class and better manners and control than what we saw from Hollywood’s best.

The Williams family and viewers and of course Chris Rock all deserved better.