In a recent interview, American comedian Rob Schneider delivered a scathing critique of Hollywood actor Will Smith, branding him a "liar" and an "a**hole."
The 60-year-old comedy icon, known for his candidness, did not mince words when discussing Smith's infamous slap of Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards two years ago.
According to the Daily Mail, Schneider's comments were made during an appearance on KIIS FM's The Kyle & Jackie O Show. When asked if he had reached out to his close friend Chris Rock following the incident, Schneider launched into a five-minute tirade against Smith. "Will Smith is a twat," he began, "Will Smith has been hiding the fact of who he really is and it was exposed that night that he's really an a**hole."
Schneider praised Rock as a "great legendary comedian" and credited him for paving the way for subsequent generations of comedians. He also expressed his frustration at not being able to speak out at the time due to his involvement in the committee responsible for disciplining Smith. "He's a liar. A complete, utter fraud. And it was exposed in that time," Schneider stated.
The comedian also criticized the Academy for its handling of the incident, suggesting that their response was influenced by political correctness. "Will is a douchebag. The thing is that's how politically correct the Academy is. That they were so cowardly," he said. Schneider argued that anyone else would have been "hauled off to prison" for such an act, but the Academy was too concerned about appearing racist to take decisive action.
Schneider, who was directing a film in Mexico at the time of the incident, learned about the slap from his assistant director. "I was in a car and my assistant director, she looked at me and she said, 'Ugh'. I said, 'What happened?' and she said, 'Chris Rock just got slapped by Will Smith'. I said 'Get out of here. It didn't happen'. I made the phone calls and it did happen," he recalled.
The comedian also shared that Rock was initially reluctant to discuss the incident. "He didn't want to talk to anybody. I don't blame him. But it took him a while to get to where he could react to it because it was a lot," Schneider said. He described Rock as a "sensitive, great guy" and a "genius," and expressed regret that he wasn't able to speak out sooner.
In the aftermath of the incident, Schneider took to social media to condemn violence unequivocally. "There's never an excuse for violence. Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever," he wrote.
The infamous slap occurred after Rock made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Smith responded by storming the stage, slapping Rock, and telling him to "keep my wife's name out of your f**king mouth." Despite apologizing to the Academy and other nominees during his acceptance speech for Best Actor, Smith did not mention Rock. He later resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was issued a 10-year ban from the Oscars.
Despite the controversy, Smith remains a prominent figure in Hollywood, commanding $25 million per project for upcoming films like Bad Boys 4 and Netflix's Fast and Loose. Meanwhile, Jada Pinkett Smith recently published a memoir detailing a seven-year separation from her husband.
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