Questlove revealed he didn’t see Will Smith’s infamous slap in the face by Chris Rock during Sunday’s Oscars as he was meditating at the moment it happened.
The 51-year-old musician opened up about his Oscar experience on Monday’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and just won the Oscar for Best Documentary for Summer of Soul, which Rock, 57, hosted.
“Of course that happened in the cyclone of a very different situation with two very good friends of mine,” he said of the exchange. “I really wasn’t aware of that.”
The latest: Questlove, 51, revealed on Monday’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that he didn’t see Will Smith’s infamous slap in the face by Chris Rock during Sunday’s Oscars as he was meditating at the moment it happened
The Roots drummer, whose full name is Ahmir Khalib Thompson, said he was practicing Transcendental Meditation at the time his category was announced while the incident was between Smith, 53, and Rock, 57.
“It’s weird to say because they tell you upfront, ‘That’s your category,’ so either you’re going to be full of anxiety at that moment or, for me, I’ve been meditating for the last two years,” he said. “When the commercial break happened, I was just [meditating,]’ So when I opened my eyes, I didn’t realize – why is everyone so quiet? I literally wasn’t there the whole moment.
He continued, “But in my eyes they just do a sketch or whatever and I’m like, ‘OK, Ahmir, remember to thank your mother, your father,’ so I wasn’t present at all, I was just in a space.’
Questlove said that as he “walked up to the stage,” he “put two and two together and realized this was a real moment” between Smith and Rock before delivering his acceptance speech.
The musical artist opened up about his Oscar experience, having just won the Oscar for Best Documentary for Summer of Soul
The Tonight Show star cradled his Oscar statuette as he made his way to the couch
Questlove said of the slap, “I literally wasn’t there the whole moment.”
The Academy Award-winning Philadelphia documentary maker, who plays in The Tonight Show’s house band The Roots, investigated the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which featured an impressive roster of artists including Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, Sly, The Family Stone and the 5th dimension.
The exchange between Smith and Rock came after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, saying, “Jada I love you GI Jane 2 can’t wait to see it,” in reference to the film from 1997, which featured Demi Moore with his head shaved. (Pinkett Smith, 50, has been diagnosed with alopecia, which causes hair loss.)
Smith then took to the stage and slapped Rock, then returned to his seat and yelled at him twice, “Keep my wife’s name out of your friggin’ mouth!” in front of a stunned audience at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California.
Questlove directed the Oscar-winning documentary that examined the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival
He gave his acceptance speech after the moment of shock. He was seen on stage with (LR) producers Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein
Smith apologized on Instagram Monday, calling himself a “work in progress” after the unprecedented incident.
“Violence in all its forms is poisonous and destructive,” Smith said in a statement. “My behavior at the Oscars last night was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s health was too much for me and I reacted emotionally.’
He continued, “I want to publicly apologize to you Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong.’
Smith, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as tennis patriarch Richard Williams in King Richard, also apologized to the academy, the show’s producers, guests and viewers, as well as the Williams family and cast and crew of his film.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Rock has not filed any charges in connection with the incident.