Terry Crews Says Chris Rock Saved Hollywood By Keeping His Cool After Will Smith’s Slap

Terry Crews is opening up about the infamous event that happened between two of his “dear friends” at the 2022 Oscars.

Crews, 53, recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about his upcoming memoir, “Tough: My True Journey to Power,” when asked about his opinion of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock.

The Emmy nominee was quick to praise Rock for keeping his cool after being assaulted onstage, but refused to “demonize” Smith for his actions.

Terry Crews says Chris Rock “saved Hollywood” by staying calm after Will Smith slapped him at the 2022 Oscars.
(Getty Images)

“Will Smith and Chris Rock are both very dear friends of mine,” he told the outlet. “I love them both like brothers, but there was a time in my life [where] I was Will Smith then, and let me tell you, I’ve done worse than Will.”

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“Much overdone, just the punishment didn’t fit the crime. Like, people were like, ‘What in the world are you doing?’ My wife even had to say, “You have to promise me you’ll never leave like this. You didn’t have to take this man and put him on his head, on the concrete,” Crews recalled.

Crews went so far as to say his friend “saved Hollywood” that Sunday night by not fighting back on stage and during the live stream.

“When I look back, by what Chris did, just deciding to hold it all together, actually, I think in a lot of ways I saved Hollywood,” Crews shared with the outlet. “Because if there had been a fight on that stage, I don’t know if Hollywood would have gotten the respect again, you know? It’s hard to even imagine what would have happened.”

Will Smith, right, punches presenter Chris Rock on stage while presenting the Best Documentary Feature award at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27.
(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Crews continued to show their love for Rock while recounting times from his past where he was in both Rock’s and Smiths’ position.

“The definition of toughness where I grew up and the way I was was always the ability to hit, the ability to punch, the ability to put things right, to even the score,” he explained. “But the real definition of toughness was what Chris did by taking a punch, then holding it all together, then showing incredible stamina and resilience in the midst of obstacles.”

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“I think it was a miracle what Chris did. I really do. I couldn’t believe his composure at that point. I thought, holy cow, we owe him a lot. I think that every artist owes him so much because he just really saved Hollywood at that time. I’m very grateful to Chris, but I also understand Will. I’m not [one] to demonize Will at all because I was there,” he added.

Crews is one of many Hollywood stars to share their thoughts on the controversial moment that took place at the 94th Academy Awards last month.

Will Smith yells at Chris Rock from his Oscars seat after physically assaulting him onstage at the 94th Annual Academy Awards.
(Screenshot/ABC)

Smith slapped Rock after Rock made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s bald head, referencing the 1997 movie “GI Jane,” starring Demi Moore. Pinkett Smith, 50, suffers from alopecia.

“Jada, GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see it,” Rock, 57, said while onstage at the Oscars with the actress in attendance.

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“Wow, Will Smith just hit me,” Rock said after being slapped by Smith.

“Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth,” Smith replied.

Terry Crews (L) and Will Smith pose onstage at the Netflix Films: ‘Bright’ and ‘Death Note’ panel during Comic-Con International 2017 at the San Diego Convention Center.
(Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

Earlier this month, the academy announced that Smith had been banned from attending the Oscars or any other academy event for 10 years after he slapped presenter Rock at this year’s ceremony. The decision came after a meeting of the academy’s board to discuss a response to Smiths’ actions.

“I accept and respect the decision of the academy,” the actor said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital at the time. Smith also resigned from the academy and publicly apologized.

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Smith made his first public appearance since being slapped in Mumbai, India on Saturday, smiling and posing for photos with adoring fans.

He also waved at nearby onlookers, shouting “Will! Will!”

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022.
(AP)

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Meanwhile, Rock has been doing stand-up since the Oscars incident. In his first stage appearance since the slap, he told a Boston crowd that he “is still processing what happened.”

“At some point, I’ll talk about this s—, and it’ll be serious, and it’ll be funny,” Rock shared.

Fox News Mariah Haas contributed to this report.