In an exclusive interview, comedian Leslie Jones opened up about the recent events revolving around actors Chris Rock and Will Smith at the infamous Oscar incident last year. Jones revealed that Rock, a long-time friend of hers, had to seek therapy after a slap from Smith was delivered on stage during the live broadcast of the ceremonies.

Jones explained with utmost indignation that Rock was deeply affected by the incident. Much to her frustration, the incident was witnessed by Rock’s family, including his daughters and parents, who were met with the disturbing spectacle. According to Jones, Rock’s encounter with therapy was immediate and he chose to counsel his daughters, Lola, 21, and Zahra, 19, respecting the untoward dispute on national television.

On the night of the incident, Jones was evidently distressed while watching the show from home. Overcome with rage, she was on the brink of driving to the event to confront the situation herself.

Jones further expressed her disappointment at the lack of an immediate apology from Smith, the Oscar winner for the best actor, towards Rock in his acceptance speech. Although Smith did apologize to the Academy and his fellow nominees on the stage, Jones emphasized that he fell short of directly addressing his regrettable act towards Rock.

The bewildering event unfolded at the March 2022 Oscars when Rock cracked a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, with a reference to her bald head due to alopecia. Smith retaliatingly slapped Rock on the stage and shouted at him to refrain from speaking about his wife. Smith conveyed his apologies to Rock the following day via an Instagram post, and again in July through a video message.

In the aftermath, Smith announced his resignation from the Academy and received a ban for a period of 10 years from attending Academy events. Despite the repercussions, Smith continues to qualify for future Oscar nominations and holds on to his 2022 Oscar victory.

Jones believes that an apology during Smith’s acceptance speech could have dissolved the tension of that night. She suggests that Smith might have made amends with Rock at that critical moment, declaring that he was unable to accept the Oscar due to his misconduct.

In a recent Netflix special, Rock, addressed the incident from his perspective. He vigorously dismissed Smith’s response to his joke at the Oscars and expressed equal shock and disapproval at his actions.

Jones and Rock share a bonded friendship since the mid-1990s, with Rock writing the foreword of Jones’ recent memoir titled ‘Leslie F*cking Jones.’ Tagging Rock as her brother, Jones credits him for encouraging her to audition for ‘Saturday Night Live’, which turned out to be a success. Despite the unsettling incident, their friendship remains unbroken, demonstrating the remarkable camaraderie between the two comedians.