According to his mother, Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during the Academy Awards was uncharacteristic of the superstar.
Carloyn Smith, 85, said she'd never seen her son do anything quite like what he did in front of Rock on live television.
“He is a very even, people person,” Carolyn told WPVI of Philadelphia. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him go off. First time in his lifetime … I’ve never seen him do that.”
Carolyn continued, saying that she woke up on Oscar morning and sent luck Will's way through the family chat. As it turned out, this strategy worked, as Will won the Oscar for Best Actor.
“I know how he works, how hard he works,” Carolyn said about his win. “I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting. When I heard the name, I was just, ‘Yes!’”
Will’s younger sister Ellen Smith also discussed the night with WPVI, telling the station that Will has had to deal with a lot of pressure as high-profile star, and that she’s “had conversations with him, and it like really kind of broke my heart listening to the things he’s said he had to go through to get to where he is.”