Richard Williams on Will Smith’s Viral Slap: “We Don’t Condone Hitting Anyone”

Ahead of Will Smith issuing an apology to Chris Rock for slapping him onstage at the Oscars, Richard Williams, the man Will Smith portrayed in his Oscar-winning role spoke out against his actions. Williams is the father of tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams.

“We don’t know all the details of what happened,” Richard Williams told NBC News. “But we don’t condone anyone hitting anyone else unless it’s in self-defense.”

Smith echoed the sentiments of Williams, calling his actions “poisionous and destructive.”

“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,” Smith wrote on Instagram. “I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

You can see his entire apology here.