Cedric the Entertainer says he thinks cancel culture doesn’t allow for mistakes while discussing the aftermath of the Oscars incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock.
Smith infamously walked on stage and slapped the comedian across the face as he presented an award at the 94th-Annual Academy Awards last year after he made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith‘s bald head.
Despite winning the Best Actor award, the “Emancipation” star received a 10-year ban from attending any Oscars events — in person or virtually.
During an interview with DailyMail.com, Cedric — whose legal name is Cedric Antonio Kyles — was asked what he thought of the two men’s ongoing feud following the infamous Oscars slap.
In his latest comedy special, “Selective Outrage,” on Netflix, Rock spoke of the controversy and doubled down on the drama by calling Pinkett Smith a “b—h” and bringing up her “entanglement” with August Alsina.
He also noted Pinkett Smith wasn’t happy he moved forward with hosting the Academy Awards in 2016. This was also around the time of “Oscars So White” when all 20 acting nominees reportedly were white, leaving actors such as her husband for his role in the film “Concussion” without an award nomination.
Pinkett Smith had boycotted the awards that year, with Rock reportedly later saying she couldn’t boycott something to which she wasn’t invited.
After being asked to reflect on Smith and Rock’s current relationship — which remains damaged following the Oscars’ slap and comedy special — Cedric suggested that there may have been other issues that led to Smith slapping Rock.
“A lot of people thought that it was the joke itself, but obviously there was true undertones that led to that kind of behavior, especially from Will Smith and from Chris Rock, to be honest,” he said.
“The Neighborhood” star went on to state that both actors had “great falls” because of what took place, but only one of them dealt with the “repercussions” of his actions.
“For me, I think the idea of canceling people for any kind of act, if it’s not doing something to children, or a woman as a man, then again, if you’re just, you know, create an act, drunk driving or adultery, all these things that people want to cancel folks for; I feel like, again, we just don’t allow ourselves enough opportunity to be human,” said the comedian. “People are human beings and they make human mistakes.”
“So this idea of canceling people out of their lives and saying they can’t exist anymore or they shouldn’t, I feel that that’s a bridge too far. And it’s usually done in the sense of blind internet power,” Cedric continued, adding that people on the internet create drama without real attachment.
“It’s people that have no real attachment to it, just giving an opinion for the moment, and then they jump on the wave and they create this thing that comes rushing at you that makes you look like the worst human being in the world.”
He also said that some “lines were drawn in the sand,” but he remains hopeful that Smith and Rock will make up, eventually.
“It’s like a family argument. It’ll just kinda have to ease through it until somebody makes some good food, and we sit down and eat…” he continued. “I believe that we are getting closer to that moment.”
The Oscar-Award-winning actor appears to have avoided the majority of cancel culture cries as he is currently filming “Bad Boys 4” with Martin Lawrence.
