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Chris Rock's brother says Will Smith should lose Oscar

Kenny Rock, a 42-year-old actor and one of Chris Rock’s six living siblings, said he was riding the New York City subway during the incident and only found out when friends reached out to him

April 6, 2022 6:28am

Updated: April 6, 2022 6:29am

One of Chris Rock’s brothers said he does not accept Will Smith’s apology for slapping the comedian live on air during the Oscars and said he should lose the Oscar he won, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Kenny Rock, a 42-year-old actor and one of Chris Rock’s six living siblings, said he was riding the New York City subway during the incident and only found out when friends reached out to him.

“It eats at me watching it over and over again because you’ve seen a loved one being attacked and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Kenny Rock told The Times.

“Every time I’m watching the videos, it’s like a rendition that just keeps going over and over in my head. My brother was no threat to him and you just had no respect for him at that moment. You just belittled him in front of millions of people that watch the show.”

Smith has faced heavy public criticism for walking on stage and slapping Chris Rock live on-air after the host made a joke about the shaved head of Jada Pinkett Smith, the actor’s wife who suffers from alopecia.

Kenny Rock said that his brother did not know about Jada’s condition.

“I might have looked at it differently had he initially apologized when he got on the stage and cried and accepted the award, but he didn’t, so, right there that tells me that it is something else,” Kenny Rock said, referring to how Smith did not apologize to Chris during his acceptance speech for Best Actor later that night.

Smith addressed Chris Rock directly in an apology he posted to social media the next day, as well as in his resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday. Kenny was not convinced.

“No, I don’t accept it because I don’t think it was genuine,” Kenny Rock said. “I think his publicist and the people that work under him probably advised him to do that.”

To Kenny Rock’s knowledge, Smith has not reached out to Chris Rock or his family directly.

The Academy announced a “formal review” of Smith’s conduct. Kenny Rock wants the Academy to take disciplinary action, including taking away his Oscar for the film “King Richard” and banning him from attending future Oscars.

“He belittled my brother. He had no respect for him,” Kenny Rock added. “In my opinion, he embarrassed himself by doing that and his legacy by doing that.”