The father of Venus and Serena Williams defended actor Will Smith for slapping comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars, marking nearly a year since the incident.
Smith, 54, played Richard Williams in the biopic King Richard, which earned him the Best Actor award at the 94th Academy Awards last year.
Last year’s ceremony also saw Smith take the stage and slap Rock in the face after comments the comedian made about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
Smith apologized to Rock after the incident, but was banned from attending academy events or programs for 10 years.
Mr. Williams, 81, who has recently recovered from a number of health conditions, shared his support for Smith, saying he “didn’t feel sorry” for Rock.
“I think he did the best thing he had to do but I would never be disgusted with Mr Smith. In fact, I appreciate Mr Smith,” he told Good Morning Britain.
When asked if he saw any wrongdoing in what happened at the Oscars, Williams said, “I don’t see anything wrong with that.”
He added, “It’s time everyone forgives Will Smith.”
Will Smith hits Chris Rock during the Oscars ceremony
The interview arrives a day after Rock commented on the slap during his Netflix special Chris Rock: Selective Outrage.
He said, “You all know what happened to me, getting slapped by Suge Smith. Everyone knows it. Yes it happened, I got slapped like a year ago.
“People were like, Did it hurt? It still hurts. I’ve got summer ringing in my ears. But I’m no small victim, you’ll never see me cry on Oprah. You’ll never see it. It’ll never happen.
“I took that blow like (former boxer Manny) Pacquiao.”
