Carolyn Smith, Will Smith’s mother, gathered with family at her home in the Philadelphia suburbs on Sunday night, eager to see her son at the Academy Awards.
And, while she told CNN affiliate WPVI that she was overjoyed that the actor won his first Oscar for his performance in “King Richard,” she was taken aback by him slapping Chris Rock.
“He’s a very even-tempered, people-person,” she said. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him go off like that. For the first time in his life.”
The star slammed Rock after he joked about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, having a shaved head.
Will Smith’s sister, Ellen Smith, spoke to the station about the pressures her brother faces as a celebrity.
“Everyone has been bullied or abused in some way,” she explained. “I completely understand.”
Carolyn Smith said her son’s victory on Sunday was the culmination of years of hope and hard work.
“I’ve been waiting and waiting,” she explained. “When I heard the name, all I could think was, ‘Yes!'”
