Denzel Washington Has A History Of Oscars Drama With Will Smith
Denzel Washington was one of the first people in the audience to react following Will Smith and Chris Rock’s scuffle at the 2022 Oscars. While the rest of the people in the room were still trying to absorb what had happened, the actor, along with Bradley Cooper and Tyler Perry, were quick to soothe Smith. According to The Wrap, Washington later spoke out about the scandal during a panel discussion at the T.D. Jakes’ Annual International Leadership Summit on April 2, claiming that “for whatever reason, the devil grabbed ahold” of Smith that night. “Who are we to condemn?” he added. I don’t know all the details of this case, but I do know that prayer was the only option, as far as I could tell.”
However, The Slap wasn’t the only Oscars incident in which Washington’s name was mentioned alongside Smith’s. Another Oscars night saw Smith really walk out and leave the ceremony, prompting many to speculate that Washington had something to do with it.
The Oscars incident involving Will Smith and Denzel Washington is revealed.
Will Smith was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar in 2002 for his part in the film “Ali.” Smith told the BBC that same year that he had trained nonstop for a year to play one of the best boxers in history. Smith explained why he took the job by saying, “I knew he was a fighter, a legend, and an important figure, but I didn’t understand why. That was part of what compelled me to tell this story, because most people my age have no idea what Muhammad Ali went through in his life.”
Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, got up and departed the ceremony before the winner for that category was even announced. There was a lot of uncertainty about why the Smiths quickly left that night because Smith had poured so much heart and soul into the play. Some speculated it had anything to do with Denzel Washington’s triumph for his performance in “Training Day.” It was, however, for a different cause, as Entertainment Weekly pointed out. Willow, their 18-month-old daughter, was rushed to the hospital at the time with a 103-degree fever.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith both boycotted the Oscars in 2016 due to a lack of diversity in the nominations that year, as well as his seeming snub for his role in “Concussion.” Smith explained his reasoning by pointing to a larger issue: the lack of ethnic diversity, which sparked the #OscarsSoWhite discussion. As Will stated, “”This is so deeply not about me,” she says on “Good Morning America” (via Variety). This is about youngsters who will see this show and will not see themselves portrayed.”
Denzel Washington, meanwhile, said he understood Will’s feelings over the #OscarsSoWhite debate. “When my name is mentioned at the Oscars, I’ve been the person. “I’ve been the person at the Oscars when everyone expected my name to be called but it wasn’t,” he told “60 Minutes.”” One of the reasons Washington was quick to console Will after the Chris Rock slap could have been his foresight on Oscar night 2022. Will himself has stated that Washington is someone he admires and looks up to. Smith told People magazine about his relationship with Washington: “We’ve spent a significant amount of time together. So we’re talking, and he’s always been a mentor to me, and he grabs my hand and says, ‘This is your year.'” In other words, there is more love between these two men than there has ever been turmoil.
Source: nickiswift.com