Will Smith's mother has shared her thoughts on her son's decision to storm the stage at the Academy Awards and slap presenter Chris Rock across the face. You can watch it below:
Smith divided opinion with the way he chose to stand up for his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, after Rock made a joke about her hair loss, with some arguing the actor was right to defend his wife while others have condemned the use of physical violence.
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The actor's mum, Carolyn Smith, is among the millions of people who were left surprised by Smith's outburst as the actor is typically known for having a cool and collected demeanour.
After the events unfolded, Smith described her son to ABC Action News as a 'very even, people person'.
She went on to say she has never seen Smith behave in such a way in all of his 53 years, saying: "He is a very even, people person. That's the first time I've ever seen him go off. First time in his lifetime... I've never seen him do that."
Smith apologised for his actions after he was named winner in the Best Actor category for his role in King Richard, telling the crowd he would like to 'apologise to the Academy' and to his 'fellow nominees', though he did not immediately apologise to Rock directly.
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That apology came last night, when Smith took to Instagram to describe violence as 'poisonous and destructive'.
"Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong," Smith wrote.
Smith's family has assured they don't believe the moment defines him, pointing out he puts his family first and describing him as a loving man and the relative who keeps the family together.
Carolyn reflected on the run-up to Sunday's event as she said she got up early and sent a text on the family's group chat, writing: "Good morning, we've got to say good luck to Uncle Will."
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On the actor winning his first Oscar, the proud mum said: "I know how he works, how hard he works... I've been waiting and waiting and waiting. When I heard the name, I was just, 'Yes!'."
Despite the surprising way the night unfolded, Smith's family believes he will make the right moves going forward, with his mum assuring she is 'proud of him being him'.
Featured Image Credit: ABCTopics: Celebrity, Oscars, TV and Film, US News, Will Smith, Chris Rock