Denzel Washington speaks out on the Oscar incident involving Will Smith and Chris Rock. During the live telecast of the Oscar 2022, Will Smith has walked up to the stage and slapped Chris Rock. Many photos and copies of the video circulated online and trended on Twitter with the tag #whatjusthappened. During the break, Vanity reported that actors Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry approached the couple.
In his talk during the Bishop T.D. Jakes’ leadership summit in Washington, he was asked about the incident.
“Well, there’s a saying when the devil ignores you, then you know you’re doing something wrong,” Washington said in a video of the exchange posted on Jakes’ verified Twitter account.
“You know, the devil goes, ‘Oh, no, leave him alone, he’s my favorite. Don’t bother him.’ Conversely, when the devil comes at you, maybe it’s because you’re trying to do something right. And for whatever reason, the devil got a hold of that circumstance that night.”
During his acceptance speech, Smith said that prior to his win, fellow nominee Washington shared some wisdom with him: “At your highest moment be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you.”
“Fortunately, there were people there, not just me, but others in the gap,” Washington told Jakes. “Tyler Perry came right immediately, right over there with me.”
Washington would not say what the three men spoke or prayed about after the incident.
“Who are we to condemn?” Washington asked. “I don’t know all the ins and outs of the situation, but I know the only solution was prayer.”
Will Smith issued a public apology on Instagram and respectfully resigned from the Oscar Awards. His projects with Netflix and Sony were both on hold.