Questlove has opened up about his Oscars win on Sunday, which took place just seconds after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock.
The comedian was on hand to present the best documentary feature gong – which went to the Roots frontman for Summer of Soul – when he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair in front of the star-studded audience.
King Richard actor Will was unhappy with the slight and stormed onto the stage, hitting the comedian before retuning to his seat and yelling: ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f**king mouth.’
A flustered Chris got back to work and announced that Questlove, real name Ahmir Thompson, had won the coveted statue, with his shining moment overshadowed by the incident.
However, speaking about the scenes, the filmmaker confessed that he actually blanked out before it all kicked off, and missed the whole thing.
Appearing on the Tonight Show, he told Jimmy Fallon of his time at the ceremony: ‘Of course that happened in the cyclone of a whole [other] situation with two very good friends of mine.
‘I really wasn’t aware of that. It’s weird to say, because they tell you ahead of time, “This is your category!” And so, in that moment, you’re either gonna be full of anxiety, or for me, I’ve been meditating for the last two years.
‘When the commercial break was happening, I was just in my “mmmm”. So, when I opened my eyes, I didn’t realize, like, “Why is everyone so quiet?” I literally was not present for that whole entire moment.
‘And as I’m walking to the stage, I’m putting two and two together and I realize that that was a real moment, maybe three seconds before I spoke words.
‘In my mind, they’re just doing a sketch or whatever, I’m just like, “OK, Ahmir, remember to thank your mom and your dad”. So, I was not present at all. I was just in a blank space.’
Questlove may be the only person in the world who managed to meditate through that…
Things took a turn in Sunday’s ceremony when Chris appeared on stage to hand out his award, and directed jokes towards many in the audience – before taking aim at Jada’s buzzcut.
‘Jada, can’t wait for GI Jane 2,’ he said, in reference to her hair style.
The Scream 2 actress has been candid about her struggles with alopecia in the past, and was visibly unimpressed with the quip
Will reacted by storming on stage to confront Chris, something that left viewers and his Hollywood colleagues shocked.
He then went on to win his first Oscar for best actor later in the evening, with the Academy launching a formal investigation into what happened.
Speaking out over the incident, the Fresh Prince actor issued a lengthy apology towards the comic on Instagram, explaining that a joke about his wife’s health was ‘too much’ for him to bear.
’Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive,’ he began. ’My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable.
‘Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.
‘I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. 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.
‘I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family.
‘I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.’
Will concluded: ‘I am a work in progress.’
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Liam Gallagher’s son and Ringo Starr’s grandson to stand trial on assault and affray charges
MORE : Harry Styles drops out of Nosferatu movie alongside Anya Taylor-Joy over scheduling conflicts
