Don’t expect comedian Kevin Hart to discredit his brother Will Smith or his legacy following his highly publicized physical altercation with comedy veteran Chris Rock at this year’s Academy Award ceremony.
During his recent appearance on Drink Champs with N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN, the “Me Time” star was put in the hot seat after he was tasked with choosing between Ice Cube and the “King Richard” star for a segment of the web show called “Quicktime With Slime,” where guests must choose between two famous people or, take a shot of liquor.
“Dark times deserve f-ckin’ great light. I’m not gonna sh-t on my brother. I’m going to say Will Smith, and here’s why: Will Smith is not only a legend, he’s not only a GOAT,” the actor shared.
N.O.R.E. interrupted to declare Smith “gangsta” for slapping the “Good Hair” actor after he made a controversial joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head while presenting the award for “Best Documentary Feature,” which ultimately went to Roots co-founder Questlove for his film “Summer of Soul.” However, Hart quickly clarified, “Those are your words, not mine,” before adding, “I’m not going to s–t on Will and act like he wasn’t that guy.”
However, Hart soon took a more serious tone to highlight the “Bad Boys” star’s impact and how his efforts paved the way for Black actors looking to get their footing in the business.
“Will Smith is the reason why the idea of African Americans attached to global IP is normal. … Studios took the gamble on more leads of color because of the work that Will Smith, Denzel were doing in the beginning, right?” Hart explained. “You need the faces that are giving the universal return. So I’m not gonna sh-t on Will and act like he hasn’t been, and wasn’t, that guy.”
The “Night School” star continued, “And people make mistakes, and from mistakes, they should be allowed time to f-ckin’ recover. … And that this is no longer the world’s problem. It’s Will and Chris’s problem. Let them deal with that. The world should step out of it and let them recover.”
Smith returned to social media last July by posting a video on Instagram where he answered a few pressing questions regarding the incident and an apology to Rock, his mother, and brother Tony Rock. However, during a comedy show, Rock allegedly reacted by stating, “F—ck your hostage video.” Deadline reports he said, “The motherf—ker hit me over a bulls—t joke, the nicest joke I ever told.”
