While a lot of people were turning their backs on Will Smith following the infamous Oscars incident involving Chris Rock, one person who stood firmly by his side was Floyd Mayweather. The “Pursuit of Happyness” actor made the revelation during a private screening of his forthcoming movie “Emancipation” at The London Hotel in Los Angeles.
In video footage obtained by TMZ, Smith began by saying that though he and Mayweather weren’t exactly friends before the Oscars fiasco, he was taken aback when the boxing champ called him for 10 days straight to check up on him. “I want to say something also about Floyd. So, we’ve met each other, we’ve seen each other around, but we weren’t like, friends,” he explained.
“And, the day after the Oscars, for 10 days he called me every day. And, he was like, ‘Ay, you know you the champ, right? You good? You know you the champ, right? I want you to hear my voice say it.’” Smith concluded by sharing his gratitude for Mayweather’s support, adding, “That was every day he called me … and it’s like, that’s my dude forever right there.”
Millions of watched at home watched as Smith hopped onto the Academy Awards stage and slapped Rock for what many deemed was an inappropriate joke about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith. The 57-year-old comedian made a light-hearted remark referencing her buzzcut hairstyle when he said, “Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see you.”
“G.I. Jane” was the 1997 flick starring Demi Moore, who had shaved her head for the action-packed role. However, the joke didn’t sit well with the Smiths, particularly the “Red Table Talk” host, who has been very open about her battle with alopecia, which is an autoimmune disorder that causes patchy baldness, with some people experiencing excessive hair loss until they are completely bald.
Rock received a heap of backlash for what ended up transpiring on stage, so much so that several of his projects with Netflix were reportedly halted until further notice. And after months of keeping a low profile, in July, Smith resurfaced in a video posted to his official YouTube page, where he once again apologized for his “unacceptable behavior.”
RELATED: Chris Rock Reacts To Will Smith’s Public Apology Following Oscars Slap: ‘F*ck Your Hostage Video’
“It’s been a minute… Over the last few months, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and personal work…” the Pennsylvania native expressed. “You asked a lot of fair questions that I wanted to take some time to answer.”
“I’ve reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk and when he is, he’ll reach out. I will say to you Chris, I apologize to you, my behavior was unacceptable, and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
“Emancipation” is slated for a release in select cinemas on December 2 and December 9 on AppleTV+.