When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards, Tyler Perry was one of the first to be seen talking to the Men in Black actor.
Most people speculated that the producer and actor was comforting his friend over the shock incident.
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But now, Tyler - who is also friends with the comedian on the receiving end of the slap - has spoken out to reveal exactly what happened after the history-making moment.
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"There's a difference between comforting and deescalating, that's number one. And I left early to get to Chris to make sure he was okay," Tyler explained to Gayle King during Tribeca Film Festival's Directors Series. "Being friends with both of them has been very difficult."
He added that he believed that Will was "wrong in no uncertain circumstances" and he told him as much.
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"Trust me, as painful as it was for all of us in the room, it was as painful for Chris, who was a pure champion for the way he handled it," he added.
© Photo: Getty ImagesTyler Perry was seen talking to Will Smith after the incident
"But I want you to understand that something happened that was extremely painful for Will as well. That is no excuse. He was completely wrong for what he did. But something triggered him - that is so out of everything he is."
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Will hit Chris on stage after he made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith's alopecia. Tyler revealed, that rather than being fuming, Will was instantly upset about what he had done.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe moment Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars
"He couldn’t believe what happened," he continued. "He couldn’t believe he did it. I'm looking at this man in his eyes going, 'What are you doing? This is your night.' And to get all the way to this moment, winning an Oscar, that was one of the crowning moments of his career that he wanted so desperately, and to have something like that happen...."
Tyler said that Will is still trying to deal with the aftermath of the assault and said: "I think he is very much in reflection of trying to figure out what happened."
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