Will Smith shied away from doing much press since the infamous slap that left him outcasted in Hollywood. On Monday (November 28), Will made his return to late night television during an appearance on The Daily Show With Trevor Noah. Will opened up about the “horrific night” in March and how he’s been able to recover from the mishap.
“[There are] many nuances and complexities to it, you know, but at the end of the day, I just, I lost it, you know,” Will told Noah. “I guess what I would say, you just never know what somebody’s going through.” The Academy Award winner also got candid about his state of mind during that fateful night.
Read More: Will Smith Breaks Silence On Chris Rock Slap
“You’re asking, what did I learn? And it’s that we just got to be nice to each other man,” Smith said. “You know, it’s like, it’s hard. And I guess the thing that was most painful for me is, I took my hard and made it hard for other people. You know, it’s like, I understood the idea when they say hurt people hurt people.”
As for his personal reaction to slapping Chris Rock on live television, Will says his childhood had lots to do with it. “It was a lot of things,” the actor said. “It was the little boy that watched his father beat up his mother, you know, is that you know, all of that just bubbled up in that moment. You know, I just that’s not who I wanna be.”
Smith got emotional during the interview as Noah showered him with grace and praise. “I had to forgive myself for being human,” Will shared. “Trust me, there’s nobody that hates the fact that I’m human more than me. And just finding that space for myself within myself to be human. It’s like, I want, I’ve always wanted to be Superman."
"I’ve always wanted to swoop in and save the damsel in distress, you know," Will shared. "And I had to humble down, you know, and realize that I’m a flawed human, and I still have an opportunity to go out in the world and contribute in a way that fills my heart, and hopefully helps other people.” Will’s latest film, Emancipation hits theaters on December 9.
