Vivica A. Fox Claims People Were Happy With Her Calling Will Smith & Chris Rock Incident ‘Black-on-Black Crime’

According to Vivica A. Fox, she received praise for referring to Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock during the 2022 Academy Awards as “Black-on-Black crime.”

“People were actually happy with me that I was honest,” the actress, 57, told Page Six exclusively during Thursday’s American Heart Association’s Red Dress Collection Concert in Hollywood, Calif.

“They were like, ‘Well, you told the truth!” she continued. “Some people thought I was gonna maybe sugar coat it because, of course, I know all parties involved, but I was disappointed — I mean, really disappointed.”

When questioned if she spoke to Smith, his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, or Rock, the latter of whom made the joke about Pinkett Smith that sparked the smack, the “Kill Bill” star stated that she had not.

“I mean, listen, no one ever expected that to happen,” she explained. “All of us were literally blindsided and disappointed by a very unfortunate event that took the air out of the building. I told the truth. I always tell the truth. I think that’s how to operate.”

Fox, on the other hand, commended Smith, 53, for addressing the incident moments after it occurred while accepting the Best Actor award for his lead role in “King Richard.”

“I just love that Will was man enough to stand up and to apologize that night, you know?”  She stated in reference to the actor’s apology to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and to his “fellow nominees.” “Who knows what got into him, but we’re gonna pray for him. He’s still Will Smith. He’s still Will Smith.”

“He made the biggest mistake of his life on the biggest night of his life, but he said, ‘I’ll take full responsibility for this.’  He apologized to everyone,” Fox continued, though Smith did not apologize to Rock, 57, until the following day, via an Instagram statement.

The actress — who spoke with the outlet prior to the Academy announcing Smith would be prohibited from all Academy events for the next decade — expressed optimism that the actor would “learn from this and move forward.”

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