By Shirley Farmer 
Will Smith starred Monday night in an emotional interview in which he spoke candidly about the controversy he was involved in for slapping Chris Rock in the middle of the Oscars.
The actor admitted on The Daily Show, hosted by Trevor Noah, that he had a “horrible night” that he lost his mind and went on stage, after hearing a joke about his wife, to assault the comedian.
At the end of the day, Smith says he was aware he had “lost his mind” or had not dealt with a traumatic moment the same day when his nephew, just nine years old, questioned him about the act that had just been committed.
Dom, nine years old, “the pretty boy”, was waiting for his uncle at home after the party and did not hesitate to ask him what, at that moment, aroused the curiosity of everyone who watched the moment on TV.
“We come home, he’s up late to see Uncle Will, we’re sitting in my kitchen, and he’s on my lap holding his Oscar, and he says to me, ‘Why have you had enough of this guy, Uncle Will?’ “,” the actor recalled, unable to contain the tears.
Will Smith admits he was having a hard time that day, a factor that, along with several others, including growing up watching his father beat his mother, led to the unexpected reaction he regretted.
“There were many things […] I was the boy who saw his father beat his mother, you know? It all boils down to that moment. […] I was going through something that night, not because it justified my behaviour,” he said, emphasizing that he had learned a huge lesson from the whole situation.
He concluded his speech on this subject, “You asked me what I learned? I learned that we have to be kind to each other.”
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