Much of the Hollywood community and the world at large were rocked by the 2022 Academy Awards, where Chris Rock was slapped by Will Smith slapped on stage after the comic made a joke abou his spouse. In the immediate aftermath, numerous celebrities weighed in on the situation, with a number of them chastising Smith for his actions. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shared a complex to the situation in his newsletter, as he cited the severity of Smith’s actions while also providing him with some level of support. His article went viral and has since accumulated millions of views, and the sports icon is now getting candid about why he wrote on the slap, despite being “reluctant” at the onset.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar published “Will Smith Did a Bad, Bad Thing” in March 2022, only a day after the Oscars telecast that year. The Laker legend argued that the slap was a significant blow for men and men, particularly those in the Black community. This is greatly because of the long-held preconceived notion that African Americans are prone to violence at times. On the flip side of that, Abdul-Jabbar asserted that Chris Rock handled the situation with grace. And while he was disappointed with Smith’s actions, the athlete admitted that he views the actor – who he met on the set of Fresh Prince years ago – as a friend. Knowing Smith’s character, the 76-year-old said that he didn’t want him to be “punished or ostracized because of this one, albeit a big one, mistake.”
In another post that was shared this week, the six-time NBA champion shared more thoughts on the situation. He acknowledged just how many eyes have looked over his piece since its publication last year. And while reflecting on the article, he revealed that he was uneasy about chiming in on the matter due to potential backlash along with another key reason:
‘Will Smith Did a Bad, Bad Thing’ has received 3.49 million views, far more than anything else I’ve written before or since. And yet, it almost didn’t happen. …I’m always reluctant when it comes to criticizing a Black celebrity because I know how hard the road to success can be for us—and how much of a target we are once we achieve that success. Many people are always rooting for celebrities to fall, especially celebrities who are women and People of Color. I don’t want to add to that burden unnecessarily.
The cerebral writer certainly hits on something important with these particular comments. It’s true that in some cases, some people seem to root for stars to slip up or fail. And that’s definitely accurate when it comes to women and POC. They arguably have to walk a tightrope that’s even trickier than the one that celebrities in general must journey across. The NBA’s former scoring champion could clearly see what the optics would be if he were to join in the discussion. On top of all that, he also had to consider his personal relationship with the King Richard star:
In the case of Will Smith, I was even more hesitant because I know him and like him. He’s a sincere, thoughtful, and compassionate man who made an emotionally prompted mistake. Unfortunately, he made that mistake in front of millions of people. And when a Black international superstar commits violence on live TV, it has a stinging impact far beyond the pain on Chris Rock’s face. It reaches into the daily lives of the entire Black community as well as into how men and women are portrayed in society. In short, it was bad for Blacks, it was bad for men, it was bad for women. It was a bad, bad thing.
Will Smith eventually posted an apology video in July 2022, in which he addressed where things stand between him and Rock. The Bring the Pain performer, for his part, bluntly addressed the video during a stand-up set, saying “fuck your hostage video.” Rock also called out Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett, in his most recent stand-up special, Selective Outrage. Fellow comedian Jim Carrey was one of the first stars to publicly weigh in on the matter. Carrey was apparently “sickened” by the fact that Will Smith received applause when he received his Oscar later in the show. One of the show’s co-hosts, Wanda Sykes, also says she was “traumatized” by the ordeal.
Some did come to the I Am Legend alum’s defense, though. Fresh Prince alum Tatyana Ali showed love to her former co-star in the aftermath of the slap. Marlon Wayans even weighed in with some honest advice, saying that the actor – who he views as “Black excellence – may want to consider therapy.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shared more thoughts on Will Smith’s situation later in 2022. At the time, he said that he was still “rooting” for Smith, despite what transpired. The renowned basketball savant certainly does an effective job of addressing the complexities of this matter. One can’t help but appreciate his insight and the fact that he overcame his initial reluctance to provide it.
