Denzel Washington to Will Smith: The Devil Attacks ‘At Your Highest Moment’
About 40 minutes later, Smith received his first-ever Academy Award. As oddsmakers expected, he was named Best Actor for portraying dad-turned-tennis-coach Richard Williams in “King Richard.” After a standing ovation, Smith began his acceptance speech by comparing himself to Williams, father of tennis champs Venus and Serena.
“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family. In this time in my life, in this moment, I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world,” Smith said. “I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people. And to be a river to my people. And I know to do what we do, you’ve got to be able to take abuse, and you’ve got be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you’ve got to be able to have people disrespecting you, and you’ve got to smile and pretend like that’s okay.”
He continued, “Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said…about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things.” Smith apologized to the Academy and to his fellow nominees but didn’t mention Rock by name or apologize to him. He added, “I’m hoping the Academy invites me back.”
The Best Actor winner thanked fellow nominee Denzel Washington, who “said to me a few minutes ago…‘At your highest moment, be careful. That’s when the devil comes for you.’” Smith said, “It’s like I want to be a vessel for love.”
NBA player Steph Curry later tweeted: “…in all the unnecessary drama, at least we got the line of the night from Denzel.”
A tweet from Peter Etenung also went viral: “I refuse to behave like Will Smith. I refuse to behave like Chris Rock. I prefer to behave like Denzel Washington,” he writes. “In a very uncomfortable and heated moment, he gave wisdom, understanding, correction and comfort.”
Oscars Attack Sparks Heated Debates
Social media exploded, with users expressing a range of emotions and discussing violence, trauma, racism, patriarchy, toxic masculinity, and marriage.
Atlanta Pastor John Onwuchekwa summed up the complexity by tweeting: “What Will Smith did last night was totally inexcusable AND completely understandable. I think those roads intersect. I’m surprised at how many takes make it seem like we have to pick a side. Maybe that’s a product of the polarized age we live in. There’s a lot to unpack.”
Theologian Danté Stewart describes being “shook and confused” by the incident. Smith bringing God into the conversation was “some problem theology,” he tweets, adding, “but then, trauma does things to us.”
Some people said Smith should have been arrested, while others understand his anger but not the slap. The Academy later tweeted it doesn’t “condone violence of any form.”
Former RNC Chairman Michael Steele tweets: “What a sad commentary when you slap the crap out of someone on live TV, win an Oscar, get a standing ovation and then accept that Oscar talking about ‘love’. There was so much wrong about this moment.” Journalist Maria Shriver retweeted Steele’s words, adding, “Love is not violent.”
