When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars earlier this year nobody really knew what to make of it. Everybody in the room had to figure out how to deal with it, especially the hosts of the show. Regina Hall was one of those hosts and she spoke about the ongoing drama and Will Smith’s recent apology.
At the premiere of her new film Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul, Regina Hall told Variety that she thought Will Smith’s recent apology video was a “first step” toward any sort of reconciliation and she appreciated that making and releasing the video was likely tough for the actor, though she stopped short making her own feelings on the subject clear. Hall explained…
I think it’s a tough thing and I know it’s a difficult road. The first step is he apologized. How people see it, it’s up to them…I know that wasn’t easy.
There have been a lot of opinions about both what Will Smith did on the Oscar stage and the way he has reacted since then. Following an apology on social media the day after the incident Smith largely disappeared from public life. He resigned his membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, but did little else until he published a video a few weeks ago where he apologized again and spoke more about what happened.
Certainly, not everybody sees the apology as genuine, which Regina Hall makes reference to here. Hall seems to feel that Smith’s apology was real, though she understands if others aren't ready, or simply aren’t willing, to accept that apology right now. Hall does believe that the apology is where Smith’s journey back needs to begin, and she does believe that redeeming himself is something that is at least possible. She continues…
Redemption. The whole point is we can evolve from maybe where we are
It had to have made things a lot more difficult as Oscar host to keep things going following such a shocking event, but Regina Hall indicates that, if asked, she would be willing to act as Oscars host again. Her co-host Wanda Sykes has indicated she’s probably less likely to return. While it would be easy to believe that the slap soured her experience, Hall says that’s not the case…
I certainly had so much fun.
The one person that we haven’t really heard from regarding Will Smith’s apology is Chris Rock. The comedian has made the occasional joke during his stand up tour but as far as we know he and Will Smith have not spoken. We still don’t really know how Rock feels about the entire experience, and how he sees Smith. Maybe we’ll have answers by the time the next Oscars show comes around. One can guess that whoever the host is, they’ll have plenty of jokes on the topic, assuming everybody is ready to joke about it by then.
