The latest celebrity to chime in on last weekend’s unexpected Chris Rock-Will Smith altercation is stand-up comedian DL Hughley, who – in what he says are his “final thoughts” on the matter – addressed the South Carolina-born entertainer with an apology, acknowledging that he was seemingly “left alone” in the moments after he was struck by the King Richard star.
As Complex reports, Hughley uploaded a clip to his Instagram page in which he compared the treatment of the two actors after the situation unfolded. “[Will Smith] got to be celebrated,” he said. “He got a standing ovation, he got to go to the after-parties and get jiggy with it, and then he got to go home and write an apology.”
Adam Berry/Getty Images
“I don’t begrudge him that,” the 59-year-old wrote. “But I’ll tell you this, I don’t think the offence was worth a lifetime of this.” As he continued his speech, Hughley speculated that people will “forever” remember Rock from the incident. “Chris Rock will forever be the man who got slapped at the Oscars. Forever.”
He continued, “I don’t think the offence matches the punishment. I do not at all. But it has happened and it will be indelible. We will forget what he said but never that he got slapped. There may well be a cure for alopecia but we’ll still remember this. We’re always gonna remember it.”
Hughley then turned the conversation to his fellow comedian’s ongoing Ego Death tour, which has seen rowdy audiences during its first two nights. “He cannot get on stage for the foreseeable future and not relive the fact that he was slapped in front of the world and that makes me sad,” The Hughleys star admitted.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t say ‘I’m sorry’ earlier,” he said, addressing Rock directly. “I’m sorry for what your children must be going through. I’m sorry for what must be in your head. I’m sorry that it seemed to me that you were alone. I am sorry that at almost 60 years old you were slapped in front of the world.”
Hughley admitted to being able to “hold in [his] heart a level of compassion and grace for what Will must have gone through,” then apologized for not “[giving] equal measures to [Rock].”
See DL Hughley’s final thoughts on The Slap in the video above, and give us your take in the comment section below.
[Via]