Will Smith’s ‘King Richard’ Co-Star Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Defends the Oscars Slap: ‘I Stand By That’ Because the First Amendment Should Not ‘Protect A—holes’

When it comes to Will Smith‘s shocking Oscars slap, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is sticking with her “King Richard” co-star.

The Oscar nominee, who played Smith’s on-screen wife as the mother of Venus and Serena Williams in the biopic, told The Daily Beast’s “Obsessed” podcast that she understands why Smith stormed the stage in 2022 and smacked Chris Rock after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head.

“I know that he wanted to protect his wife,” Ellis-Taylor said of Smith. “I stand by that. I stand with him for that.”

After Rock made a joke comparing Pinkett Smith (who has alopecia) to G.I. Jane, Smith slapped Rock and returned to his seat, yelling, “Keep my wife’s name out your fucking mouth!” Very shortly after, Smith won the Academy Award for best actor, but the surprise act of violence later earned him a 10-year ban from all events hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Ellis-Taylor continued, “I think that, you know, this idea that First Amendment rights should protect everybody? I don’t think it should necessarily protect assholes. I don’t. I don’t. I really don’t, especially if you’re causing harm.”

Being from Mississippi, the actor said she is used to hearing protected speech defending the Confederate flag. “I know blanket First Amendment valorization. I don’t buy into that. I just don’t,” she added. “To say the least, it needs to be nuanced. You can’t use it as an excuse to harm someone.”

Because it was caught on live television, the Oscars slap became a national scandal that affected Smith’s career. He was banned from attending the Oscars for a decade, and his film “Emancipation” was delayed.

Smith issued a formal apology in a video posted to social media the day after the Oscars, calling his actions “unacceptable” and “inexcusable.” He addressed Rock directly: “I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

On the “Obsessed” podcast, Ellis-Taylor made a point to praise Smith for how he “took care of everybody” on the set of “King Richard.”

“He just would not allow anybody to be treated poorly in his presence. He would just not allow it. And I cannot tell you how rare that is in this job,” she said. “I will always have a great deal of affection and care for him because he acted that way.”