Actor Denzel Washington held firm to his faith Saturday when asked to weigh in on his effort to address Will Smith slapping Chris Rock moments after the incident stating, “Who are we to condemn?”
Washington attended pastor T.D. Jakes’ International Leadership Summit Saturday morning where he discussed his life, career and Christian faith. During their panel talk, Jakes offered the actor an opportunity to speak on the actions he took at the 94th Academy Awards.
“You stepped in the middle of World War III,” Jakes said according to the Wrap. Washington had taken an emotional Smith aside after the slap to Rock that had been predicated on a poorly received joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s baldness.
“There’s a saying, ‘When the devil ignores you, then you know you’re doing something wrong.’ The devil goes, ‘Oh no, leave him alone, he’s my favorite,'” Washington began.
“Conversely, when the devil comes at you, maybe it’s because he’s trying to do something right. And for whatever reason the devil got a hold of him that night,” he went on, in a similar vein to his reported statements from the Oscars where Washington told Smith, “At your highest moment that’s when the devil comes for you.”
Following the moment in which Will Smith seemingly slapped Chris Rock at the #Oscars, Smith is comforted by Tyler Perry and Denzel Washington. He appears to wipe away tears before rejoining his wife pic.twitter.com/TyXPQe1WGY
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 28, 2022
“Fortunately there were people there. Not just me, but others [like] Tyler Perry came immediately right over there with me. Some prayers,” Washington explained, were offered. “I don’t wanna say what we talked about, but there but for the grace of God go any of us. Who are we to condemn? I don’t know all the ins and outs of this situation, but I know the only solution was prayer, the way I saw it, the way I see it.”
Both Smith and Washington had been nominated in the Best Actor category. Washington’s nomination was for his portrayal of Macbeth in “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” Smith, who took home the award shortly after the volatile incident, had been nominated for his portrayal of Richard Williams, father and coach to tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, in the film “King Richard.”
Smith has since resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after issuing a public apology to Rock and anyone else he may have hurt because of his behavior. He echoed those sentiments in his letter to the Academy where he wrote, “The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home.”
“I betrayed the trust of the Academy,” he continued before later concluding, “Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.”
Dave Rubin, president of the Academy, accepted the resignation and explained that an investigation was still ongoing as to whether further actions must be taken. Rubin stated, “We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18.”
Rock, who had refused to press charges, has yet to issue any statement on the incident, choosing instead to tell attendees at his “Ego Death” comedy show that he was “still kind of processing what happened.”
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Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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30 thoughts on “‘Devil got a hold of him’: Denzel Washington speaks on Will Smith’s slap, asks ‘who are we to condemn?’”
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Who among us really give a damn what these A Holes from the shit acting
Side have to say.
You chezzy morons are truly nothing . Can’t even get arrested to do a movie .
Years ago , movies ,acting ,TALENT was superiority.
Now , it is SHIT ,no nothing talent , ignorant pricks .
The stage has become a Political foot ball field .
We don’t give a fk what you have to say ,
Pick up your little statue ,and fk off because, we are not watching any more.
Denzel. We are a society of mostly civil, sane, loving, non-violent people. In our culture what Smith did was criminal. He should be in jail.
I think “the Devil” has a hold of many people like Will Smith-Chicago springs to mind, where tens of thousands of black have been killed and wounded in the last decade, by other blacks because of gangs and being “Disrespected”.
First of all, the California Penal Code does not allow for Rock to have an “option” of pressing charges, a crime was committed, charges are to be brought, and although Rock may be a victim, the criminal complaint would read, “THE STATE of CALIFORNIA vs. WILL SMITH”!
But, more to the statements and actions displayed by Washington, as his touting his religious beliefs, while applauding loudly, grinning and laughing at the “gay, gay, gay”, antics of the idiot women blatantly lying about the Florida Bill!
There are only two possibilities, one being they are ill-informed, believing only the hype on Twitter or other Leftard sources, at which point, they, including Denzel, are passing judgement, which a good Christian is not supposed to do, especially when the Bill bears NO resemblance to what they proport!
The only other option is that they endorse child sexual grooming, there is no other option, perhaps someone should ask Denzal which he supports, as he is incorrect, some things should be condemned!
Immediately thereafter, someone needs to ask DeSantis if then it is okay to groom children after the fourth grade, as the Bill is obscene in it’s neglect!
Majority of Actors, Producers, Laborers In Hollywood Are Card Carrying Communists!
Denzel is stepping in horsesh#t! If he means “the devil” referring to Jada Pinkett’s “bad little bush,” I’d understand, that makes sense. What we have here is a failure to communicate. Willy Wonka Smith can’t handle Jada Pinkett’s “chocolate factory” so she’s handing out free candy bars to strange Bobs, bums and herbivores. ☻👈😂🤣👍
Will Smith just did what is the norm in black culture, violence, machismo and their obsession with their so-called perverted perception of “respect”. Blacks are the most violent people in our society, both males and females, but especially black males – it starts at a very young age-that is why there are record numbers of Blacks and whites, killed every year by young black males. There have been more blacks killed by other blacks in the last 10 years, than all those lost in all our wars since Vietnam-think about that??? Black culture today is in crisis, yet they blame whites for all their own self destructive behaviors, lack of good values, drugs, gangs, 72% out of wedlock births, 70% single parent families run by females, no value put on education like other successful minorities, like Japanese, Chinese, INDIAN, ETC. STATISTICALLY, Blacks are more apt to kill one another, white people and police-much more than the other way around. That is why so many are incarcerated-they are doing much more crime in our society then their 14% of the population. 40% of all violent crime in this country is done by 14% of the population-Blacks. Until Blacks and their so-called leaders look INWARD and fix all that is wrong with THEIR people, and stop blaming whites and everything else for their own self-induced failures, and stop seeing themselves as victims nothing will change. MLK must be weeping in his grave to see, the direction his people have taken.
Hey, no need to take responsibility on any wrong doing, just say “devil made me do it”. Great excuse Denzel.
“Who are we to condemn” should also be the view for hollywood and their delusional view of Trump, “Who are we to Condemn”
So true, the Hollyweird condemned Trump 24/7 the four years he was in office, he didn’t exercised violence on anyone. How convenient, just blame the devil. 😂
I saw a comment concerning Will’s “manhood” and how he had been “conflicted” with his love for his wife and her and most likely HIS extramarital “incidents”! The best comment I read was “Chuck Connors told a joke so offensive to Will that Will had to slap himself”!
I have not heard him speak like that about people that constantly condemn white people for things they did not even do!
I had the same observation!
BPR is really bleeding this one dry. Slow news day and this is boring .
I think rock’s comment was taken wrong, not by Smith because he was laughing, but by jada. I’m afraid that difference right there may have created the impetus to get Smith to be forced into a public display of supporting her attitude to the point of slapping rock. If say the only class shown that night was that by Chris rock, when he took the hit and continued on. And an evening that should have been a high-profile moment in will Smith’s life is reduced to a calamity. I think nada pinkett has become a toxic influence on Smith.
VIOLENCE AND BLACKS IS NOTHING NEW !! F.J.B.
“‘Devil got a hold of him’”. BS. The jungle fever just showed up. Much the same way that it does in Chicago every weekend. Only this time no weapons were drawn.
He is the devil. Not only that but he is an nword thug and a sissy!
“Who are we to condemn?” I haven’t seen a bit of hesitation to condemn Republicans and Conservatives. It’s required by the elite left Hollywood types.
Washington can try all he wants. Truth is, there is no excuse for what Smith did.
It still may have been a planned attack. !0 t0 1 it was!!!!!
What would you call assault? Different rules out there in idiot land?
Slow news day?
SORRY Denzel………..Assault is Assault !
why shoulId anyone even pretend to care about any of this. Most everything out of Holltwiod is exaggeratd, attention-getting, overblown… if you like the motion pictures–various ‘stories’…watch them, pay for them….just remember the actos get paid to play ‘lets pretend’ and sometimes they let it all carry into real life. it’s not ‘rocket science’. anyone care that marlon brando rejected oscar, or that each year women try to outdo each other by wearing less clothing –or whatever. say things to annoy others so ‘things will happen’.–only ‘bad publicity is no publicity’…..If they lived ‘real lives’, might be something to worry about…99% fantasy.
If you been ‘in the businesss’ you know what I’m talkin’ about.-
widow of RET/DAV/USA
can’t find ‘edit’ link to correct typos..should, .Hollywood ..- exaggerated, actors, etc….figure some enjoy being ‘spelling police’…have fun, my keyboard gone wild..
I suspect Smith’s action was a spur of the moment response probably to a comment his wife made about the joke. Like many spur of the moment responses it was a bad decision. That does not excuse what Will Smith did, and there needs to be consequences for his actions.
I’m sorry, but an open marriage isn’t a marriage. Talk about the devil! She likely said some trigger word or phrases where all the confused marital emotions caused him to exercise testosterone laden actions. Sad, I’ve lost 80% respect for the guy—Smith and Washington are (were) among my favorites. Like Cosby, the myth has been shattered!
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9)
F**K Will Smith.