Podcaster Joe Rogan admitted he’s had a slight change of heart and explained that Will Smith “has to be forgiven” after slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars because he’s a “human being.”
During a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, the host and actor Jon Bernthal talked about what Smith did to Rock at the 94th Academy Awards after the comedian cracked a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head.
Rogan said he was recently speaking with his pal comedian Brian Simpson about what happened to Rock and said he had a similar reaction to Chris Rock after it happened which he said was “that guy — f*** that guy [Smith] forever.”
“And you know, what do you, what do you do with that guy?” the host shared. “Like, there’s a lot of us, in the beginning, we were like, ‘F*** that guy. F*** you forever.'”
“And I’m like, ‘No.’ You know, now thinking about [it], I’m like, that guy has to be forgiven,” he added. “Like, he clearly has deep remorse for what he’s done. And he’s also clearly living in a world where he was given nothing but adulation and praise for most of his life.”
“And then all of a sudden he has this one, in many people’s eyes, unforgivable moment where he does something just so f***ing stupid,” Rogan continued. “But it’s not like he doesn’t realize it. He’s a human being. You just gotta forgive him, you know? And I think the real person who has to forgive him — if he wants to is Chris Rock.”
Bernthal agreed and said he was right, that it’s for Rock to choose to forgive the “Men In Black” star or not.
“You know, and I don’t know if Chris will,” Rogan replied. “I haven’t even talked to Chris about it.”
The host said Smith is “just a person that was in an impossible-to-understand scenario.”
“To be a guy who’s a child star, who goes from that to become one of the most beloved actors in the world … to this one thing where everybody f***ing hates you,” Rogan shared. “Everybody thinks you are a piece of s***. He’s a human. You gotta forgive him.”
Rogan previously blasted Smith sharing that there was “no justification” for slapping the comedian because Rock was “doing his f***ing job,” as The Daily Wire previously reported.
Smith has since apologized several times. In July, the actor issued an apology via a video on social media. Smith said he had reached out to Rock, but the message came back that the comedian was not ready to speak to him yet. Later, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a 10-year ban against Smith.