The world watched in stunned silence as Will Smith strode onto the Oscars stage and slapped Chris Rock. For Kenny Rock, watching the replay of the now-infamous incident felt deeply personal. Initially, like many, Kenny Rock questioned if the altercation was staged, a bizarre skit gone too far. However, seeing the raw video and hearing Smith’s expletives, the reality of the assault sunk in, leaving Kenny Rock with a profound sense of violation on behalf of his brother.
“It eats at me watching it over and over again because you’ve seen a loved one being attacked and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Kenny Rock revealed in an interview with The Times. The repeated viewing of the clip became a painful loop in his mind. “Every time I’m watching the videos, it’s like a rendition that just keeps going over and over in my head. My brother was no threat to him and you just had no respect for him at that moment. You just belittled him in front of millions of people that watch the show.” Kenny Rock’s words highlight the emotional toll the public humiliation inflicted on his family.
Following the shocking event, Kenny Rock has voiced a strong desire for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to impose significant disciplinary measures against Will Smith. His recommendations include rescinding Smith’s Best Actor Academy Award for “King Richard” and banning him from all future Oscars ceremonies.
Kenny Rock’s Raw Reaction to the Oscars Slap
The incident unfolded during the 94th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Chris Rock made a joke referencing Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, comparing her look to Demi Moore’s in “G.I. Jane.” This joke, while seemingly innocuous to some, struck a nerve. Jada Pinkett Smith has openly discussed her struggle with alopecia, an autoimmune disorder causing hair loss. Will Smith’s reaction was immediate and violent. He walked onto the stage and slapped Chris Rock across the face, an act broadcast globally.
While some viewers debated the joke’s sensitivity, Kenny Rock provides crucial context. He firmly believes his brother was unaware of Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia when he made the joke. “The joke was funny,” Kenny Rock stated. “It wasn’t hilarious funny, but I know that if he knew that she had alopecia … he wouldn’t make a joke about that. But he didn’t know.” This sentiment was echoed by another source close to Chris Rock, further reinforcing the idea that the comedian’s joke was not malicious or intended to be hurtful given the circumstances he was aware of.
Calls for Academy Action Against Will Smith
Despite the unfolding drama, Will Smith remained at the Oscars ceremony. Less than an hour after the slap, he accepted the Best Actor award. In his acceptance speech, Smith offered a tearful apology, but notably, it was directed towards the Academy and his fellow nominees, not to Chris Rock directly.
Kenny Rock found this omission particularly telling. “I might have looked at it differently had he initially apologized when he got on the stage and cried and accepted the award, but he didn’t, so, right there that tells me that it is something else,” Kenny Rock explained, suggesting Smith’s initial apology lacked sincerity.
Rejects Will Smith’s Apology as Insincere
The day after the Oscars, Will Smith issued a public apology via Instagram, and later included Chris Rock and his family in a resignation letter to the Academy. However, Kenny Rock remains unconvinced.
“No, I don’t accept it because I don’t think it was genuine,” Kenny Rock asserted. “I think his publicist and the people that work under him probably advised him to do that.” As of the interview, Kenny Rock stated that Will Smith had not personally reached out to him or any of his family members to apologize directly.
Kenny Rock’s brother, comedian Tony Rock, also publicly rejected Smith’s apology on Twitter, further highlighting the family’s collective disapproval.
Family Support and Kenny Rock’s Lingering Disappointment
Kenny Rock, himself an actor and entrepreneur, is one of Chris Rock’s six siblings. The brothers share a close bond, and the family has rallied around Chris in the aftermath of the incident. Kenny Rock recounted learning about the slap while on the A Train in Brooklyn, receiving frantic messages from a friend. Since then, the image of the slap has been replayed countless times in his mind, exacerbating his distress.
Kenny Rock revealed that Chris Rock and Will Smith’s acquaintance dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, and he believed they had a “pretty good relationship” before the Oscars. This perceived betrayal deepens Kenny Rock’s disappointment and fuels his conviction that the Academy should have acted more decisively.
“He should have been escorted out of there,” Kenny Rock stated firmly. “I hold them accountable for that. He could have went up there and did anything you wanted to my brother. It could have been much worse than what he did.” He feels the Academy’s failure to immediately remove Smith sent a wrong message.
While the Academy proceeded with disciplinary actions against Smith, including his resignation and a subsequent ban from future Oscars events, for Kenny Rock, the initial lack of immediate action and the perceived insincerity of the apology continue to resonate. As Whoopi Goldberg, an Academy governor, stated on “The View,” the Academy would not be taking Smith’s Oscar away. However, for Kenny Rock and his family, the issue transcends awards. “He belittled my brother. He had no respect for him,” Kenny Rock reiterated. “In my opinion, he embarrassed himself by doing that and his legacy by doing that.” Kenny Rock’s perspective provides a powerful insight into the personal impact of a globally televised event and the enduring emotions within the Rock family.
