King Richard Star Defends Will Smith's Oscar Slap

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, who starred alongside Will Smith in "King Richard," has voiced her support for his controversial 2022 Academy Awards incident. Ellis-Taylor stated on "The Daily Beast's Obsessed" podcast that she stands by Smith's decision to defend his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. She believes his actions were a protective response to a joke made by Chris Rock about Pinkett Smith's alopecia, a hair loss condition. "I think that this idea that First Amendment rights should protect everybody -- I don't think it should necessarily protect a--holes," Ellis-Taylor remarked.

Ellis-Taylor, who was nominated for an Oscar the same year, also highlighted Smith's character on set. She described him as someone who "just would not allow anybody to be treated poorly in his presence." This praise for Smith's conduct contrasts with the aftermath of the slap, which led to Smith's resignation from the Academy and a 10-year ban from Oscar ceremonies. Meanwhile, both Chris Rock and Wanda Sykes have since commented on the incident, with Sykes noting that Smith had personally apologized to her for the disruption.