Chris Rock’s little brother Kenny is not rocking with Will Smith and does not accept the rapper-turned-actor’s apology.
In an interview with Los Angeles Times, Kenny Rock said that once the incident went viral, its repetition was traumatizing for him as a family.
“It eats at me watching it over and over again because you’ve seen a loved one being attacked, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Kenny Rock said.
“Every time I’m watching the videos, it’s like a rendition that just keeps going over and over in my head,” he continued. “My brother was no threat to him, and you just had no respect for him at that moment. You just belittled him in front of millions of people that watch the show.”
The youngest Rock brother said the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should take disciplinary action against Smith, including stripping his “Best Lead Actor” trophy for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams, in the movie “King Richard.”
He further believes Smith should never be allowed at the ceremony again.
As reported by AllHipHop.com, at this year’s Oscar Awards, Will Smith slapped the comedian in the face during the live broadcast. The Grammy winner responded to a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head — a sore spot for the woman because she is suffering from a hair disease called alopecia.
“The joke was funny,” Kenny Rock said. “It wasn’t hilarious funny, but I know that if he knew that she had alopecia … he wouldn’t make a joke about that. But he didn’t know.”
Another issue was that Will Smith did not initially apologize to Chris Rock for the assault. Instead, he only offered the sentiment to the guests and the Academy.
“I might have looked at it differently had he initially apologized when he got on the stage and cried and accepted the award, but he didn’t, so, right there that tells me that it is something else,” Kenny Rock said.
Kenny is not the only sibling in the family to speak out. Tony Rock also had words.
Tony Rock, who is also a comedian, took to social media and shared very similar sentiments around the apology.
Chris Rock has six living brothers and sisters. The family suffered tragedy when brother Charles died in 2006.