Judge Mathis Weighs In On Will Smith & Chris Rock’s Oscars Slap: “If Someone Smacks Me, I Can’t Walk Around Detroit. I Would Have To Do Something”
Judge Mathis is letting it be known that he’s not the one or two to be messed with!
While exclusively speaking with Page Six, the star weighed in on the infamous Oscar awards where Will Smith smacked Chris Rock on live TV. Mathis shared his views from a legal standpoint and also shared what he personally would’ve done if this happened to him.
“I think anytime you commit an assault, you commit a crime. And committing an assault, no matter how embarrassing or humiliating, it does not legitimize an assault,” Mathis, 62, told the outlet. From a husband’s standpoint, Mathis says he understands why Will was so rocked by the comedian’s bald joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who suffers from alopecia, “However, I would have yelled from my seat,” Mathis said. “I gotta tell ya, I would’ve been a little disruptive. I would say, ‘Watch out, bro! Don’t talk about my wife again, Chris.’ I might have done that or be more diplomatic. I would speak with Chris backstage and let him know that he insulted my wife and that he owes my wife an apology. That’s the professional Greg Mathis.” He went on to say, “If someone smacks me, I can’t walk around Detroit. I would have to do something.” Mathis added,
“Before they slap, those guys they crack a joke … but with me, if they smack me, it is another level. I would check him in some form or fashion,” Mathis said to Page Six.
So what happened at the 94th Academy Awards?
RELATED: Will Smith Hasn’t Apologized Personally To Chris Rock For Oscar Slap
As we previously reported, during the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, Chris Rock made a “G.I. Jane 2” joke directed at Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head, which she shaved because she’s battling alopecia. The joke caused Will to sock Chris Rock in the face out of anger, something he has since apologized for multiple times.
“Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,” he wrote. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.” Smith added in his post that, “Violence in all forms is poisonous and destructive.”
“I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us,” he wrote. “I am a work in progress.”
RELATED: Chris Rock Clowns Will Smith While Joking With Dave Chappelle
The Academy has since announced a formal review of Will’s incident despite Chris Rock declining to press charges. After resigning from the board, Will Smith has also been banned from the academy for ten years.
Aside from this, Judge Mathis is gearing up for his new reality show, “Mathis Family Matters.” The show which premieres June 19 at 9:30 p.m. ET on E! will follow his life with his wife of 30-plus years, Linda, and his four adult children.