Serena Williams' father Richard reflects on Will Smith's Oscars scandal

Serena Williams' father Richard finally broke his silence surrounding Will Smith's Oscars scandal, joking that the filmstar can "slap" his face whenever they meet. The sly bantering from the American comes on the back of the incident that happened with Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, where Will Smith went on stage and slapped his co-star for making a joke about his wife.

Will Smith played Richard Williams' character in the Hollywood biopic 'King Richard', a film that told the success story of Venus and Serena Williams through the eyes of their father. Smith gained wide-spread appreciation from critics and fans alike for his performance in the movie.

In a conversation with The U.S. Sun, the former tennis coach raised an opinion on the issues surrounding Smith at the Oscars. He stated that he would not judge the actor for what he had done that night, but suggested that Smith could have handled the situation better.

"I think that whatever he [Smith] wants to do, that’s what he should do. People are going to think what they want to think. If he apologized [that’s good], however, he wants to deal with the situation. I wouldn’t judge anyone," the 80-year-old expressed.

During the whole process of making the film, Richard Williams and Smith never established any sort of communication. In light of this, the former was asked whether he would like to meet the American actor, to which he replied:

"I definitely hope so, yes. I would say just, hello. And maybe, what [we] should do … just slap my face," he joked.

'King Richard' was released in November 2021 and despite positive reviews from critics, it turned out to be a box-office flop.

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"He’s done a great deal for myself and my family" - Serena Williams' father Richard on Will Smith

Serena Williams and her father Richard at the 2011 AEGON International

Ultimately, Serena Williams' father Richard has nothing but goodwill for Will Smith, grateful to him for what he has contributed towards his family by virtue of the film. During the same interview, Richard was asked whether he was upset about Will Smith's scandal overshadowing the film's success, to which he surprisingly replied:

“No, he’s done a great deal for myself and my family. I think he did extremely well, it was very wonderful”

Supporting Smith further, Serena and Venus Williams' father conveyed that the actor should be allowed to keep his Oscar and that it should not be mixed with the scandal.

"They should let him keep his Oscar. When a person [has] worked for [it] so much, then leave it alone," he asserted.

Richard failed to attend the 2022 Oscars and could not watch the ceremony live as he was suffering from health issues at the time. However, his son Chavoita LeSane showed him the video involving Smith and Rock the next day.