Just a day after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 94th Oscars in front of the crowd at the Dolby Theater and millions watchin gat home, one of his directors is speaking out, Michael Bay.
The 57-year-old filmmaker made his feature film debut with the 1995 action-thriller Bad Boys, which helped launch Smith’s film career, and they reunited in the 2003 sequel Bad Boys II.
Bay was hitting the beach in Miami on Monday with a mystery lady, when he was asked about the controversial slap, as the director defended his friend.
Speaking out: Just a day after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 94th Oscars in front of the crowd at the Dolby Theater and millions watchin gat home, one of his directors is speaking out, Michael Bay
The slap: Will Smith slaps Chris Rock on stage at the 94th Oscars on Sunday night
Slap: Bay was hitting the beach in Miami on Monday with a mystery lady, when he was asked about the controversial slap, as the director defended his friend
The filmmaker was asked if he thought The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should strip Smith of his first Oscar, due to his behavior Sunday night.
‘I don’t know the rules. I don’t know, but it was a little unlike Will,’ Bay began, while wearing a black Budweiser baseball cap, pink Stone Island sweatshirt and white Stone Island pants with black sunglasses.
Bay added that Will is, ‘a very steady guy,’ though he admitted he wasn’t watching the Oscar telecast when it happened.
Unlike Will: ‘I don’t know the rules. I don’t know, but it was a little unlike Will,’ Bay began, while wearing a black Budweiser baseball cap, pink Stone Island sweatshirt and white Stone Island pants with black sunglasses
When the director was asked what his reaction was, Bay calmly said with a laugh, ‘It was like everyone’s reaction.’
‘He’s a great guy, I’ve never seen him mad,’ Bay said of Smith, adding he didn’t see it happen, ‘I just saw the clip. I’m not one to judge.’
‘He’s just not an angry guy,’ Bay said of Smith, and when asked about what Smith said in his speech that Denzel Washington said to him – ‘Be careful at your highest moment… that’s when the devil comes for you’ – Bay said, ‘It does make you think. Denzel has got a lot of wisdom in this business.’
Great guy: ‘He’s a great guy, I’ve never seen him mad,’ Bay said of Smith, adding he didn’t see it happen, ‘I just saw the clip. I’m not one to judge’
Bay added that he hasn’t spoken to him and when asked if he thought this would hurt his career, Bay quickly said, ‘No. He apologized,’ referring to his brief apology during his acceptance speech.
At the time of the interview, Smith hadn’t released his Instagram apology where he personally apologized to Rock, and when asked if Smith should apologize to Rock, Bay said, ‘It would be nice,’ with a laugh.
When asked about Chris Rock’s reaction to the slap, Bay was clearly impressed, stating, ‘Chris was like… I’ve gotta work with Chris in movies.’
Impressed: When asked about Chris Rock’s reaction to the slap, Bay was clearly impressed, stating, ‘Chris was like… I’ve gotta work with Chris in movies’
‘I mean, I know Chris, and he handled it very well. That’s why I wonder if it was set up, you know,’ Bay added.
When asked again if Smith should have been removed from the Dolby Theater after the slap, Bay reiterated, ‘I don’t know the rules. They had their exchange and that was it, he walked off.’
Bay’s new movie Ambulance, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza Gonzalez hits theaters April 8.
Set up: ‘I mean, I know Chris, and he handled it very well. That’s why I wonder if it was set up, you know,’ Bay added
Coming soon: Bay’s new movie Ambulance, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza Gonzalez hits theaters April 8
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