‘NEVER SEEN HIM DO THAT’

Will Smith’s Mom Weighs in on ‘The Slap’

The Smith family says they were as surprised as anyone when the actor assaulted Chris Rock at the Oscars.

Will Smith’s mom says she was as surprised as anyone when her son climbed onto the Oscars stage to hit comedian Chris Rock after an ill-judged joke about his wife’s hair. “He is a very even, people person. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him go off. First time in his lifetime... I’ve never seen him do that," Carolyn Smith told 6ABC. Mrs. Smith was hosting an exclusive Oscar party at her home in the Philadelphia suburbs, with Smith’s sisters, aunts, and nieces all dressed up to watch him pick up the Best Actor statuette on Sunday night. Then came that joke, that slap, and that foul-mouthed tirade. Nothing could dent a mother’s pride, however, when the actor actually won his first Oscar a few minutes later. “I know how he works, how hard he works,” she said. “When I heard the name, I was just, ‘Yes!’”