x
Breaking News
More () »

Will Smith makes first award show appearance since Oscars slap

Will Smith's return to award show season comes just days before Chris Rock is expected to break his silence on the infamous Oscars slap.

WASHINGTON — Will Smith accepted a special honor Wednesday night at the African American Film Critics Association Awards, marking his first in-person awards show appearance since the infamous Oscars slap.

Smith, who starred in the slavery drama "Emancipation," received the Beacon Award from the AAFCA, along with the film's director Antoine Fuqua. 

"Emancipation was the individual most difficult film of my entire career. It was all outdoors - that is true," Smith said during his acceptance speech. "I remember it was the second day of shooting and it's really difficult to transport a modern mind to that time period, it's difficult to imagine that level of inhumanity."

"Emancipation" was Smith's first movie release since last year's Academy Awards, where he stormed the stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock during the live telecast before winning his first best actor Oscar.

Over the past year, Rock has yet to speak out publicly about what happened - beyond a few remarks in a handful of standup shows. That's expected to change Saturday night, when the legendary comic performs a live standup special on Netflix -  just eight days before the 95th Academy Awards. 

Jimmy Kimmel, who's back to host the Oscars for a third time, told PEOPLE this week that Rock "should be proud" of how he kept calm in real-time after he was slapped on live TV in front of millions. 

Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Will Smith, right, hits presenter Chris Rock on stage while presenting the award for best documentary feature at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

The 95th annual Academy Awards are on Sunday, March 12, at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. The ceremony is set to begin at 8 p.m. EST and be broadcast live on ABC.

Before You Leave, Check This Out