A Maryland state senator found himself on the receiving end of backlash over the infamous slapping incident at the Academy Awards on Sunday night intended for the actor Will Smith.
Will Smith, the state senator who shares the same name as the Hollywood star, said he woke up to more than 100 new followers on Twitter and messages from people scolding him for slapping comedian Chris Rock.
“I got a few messages saying, ‘You messed up.’ Actually, it was a little more colorful than that,” the state senator told the Washington Post. “You’ve got to laugh. I needed some levity.”
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The Democrat and intelligence officer for the U.S. Navy Reserve has served his constituents in Montgomery County since 2015. He said the messages were not the first time he’s received backlash from the public. He sponsored an abortion rights bill earlier this year that made him a target for far-right organizations.
The state senator is also involved in a dispute with the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, which claims he silenced the group after establishing a “No ACLU Rule,” which means no interaction with the chapter, after its members protested outside his home over police reform.
He said he was “horrified” at the clips of Smith the actor slapping Rock after the comedian and host of this year’s Oscars made a joke mocking the shaved head of the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss. Upon returning to his seat, the actor yelled at Rock to keep his wife’s name out of his “f****** mouth.”
“The act of violence was sad and unacceptable,” the state senator said. “I think there was a missed opportunity to address alopecia in a constructive way. And then I thought about what personal stuff someone must be going through to do something like that.”
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The actor has since apologized to Rock for the incident. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced a formal review of the incident Monday.
