The 'Bad Boys' actor slapped Chris Rock for joking about wife Jada Pinkett Smith during a live broadcast of the Oscars in 2022
Rob Schneider is weighing in on the ongoing feud between Will Smith and Chris Rock after the infamous 2022 slap, branding the "Bad Boys" actor an "a--hole."
During an appearance on the "The Kyle & Jackie O Show" on Tuesday, the comedian said Smith – who slapped Rock for making fun of wife Jada Pinkett Smith during a live broadcast of the Oscars – has "been hiding" his true identity all these years.
"Will Smith is a t---," Schneider said. "Will Smith has been hiding the fact of who he really is and it was exposed that night that he's really an a--hole."
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Rob Schneider branded Will Smith a "liar" and a "fraud." (Getty Images)
"But it's a deep, dark thing to do that in front of all those people and to a really great legendary comedian who's literally the best comedian of our generation," he added. "You wouldn't have this whole wave of comedy that came after if it wasn't for Chris Rock. He's kicked open the doors."
Schneider admitted he "wasn't allowed" to speak his mind after the slap occurred.
"I wasn't allowed to say anything at that time because we were part of the committee that's supposed to punish him," he said. "He's a liar. A complete, utter fraud. And it was exposed in that time."
"Will is a d--------," he continued. "The thing is that's how politically correct the Academy is. That they were so cowardly. Because if I would have done that, they would have been hauled off to prison, but because they were so worried about being racist or whatever, they were like. 'We can't offend.'"
Will Smith took issue with Chris Rock's joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, leading him to slap the comedian across the face at the Academy Awards in 2022. The moment rocked the entertainment industry. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)
"But the point is, violence is what it is. And whether the color of your skin or your religion, it doesn't matter if you commit a crime in front of other people, you get hauled out of there," he added.
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Schneider, who is close friends with Rock, said the comedian took a long time to process the incident.
"[He] didn’t want to talk to anybody," Schneider said. "I don’t blame him. But it took him a while to get to where he could react to it because it was a lot … He’s a very sensitive, great guy, and he’s literally a genius."
A representative for Smith did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
The past few years have seen Smith face heavy criticism and backlash.
In 2023, Smith explained that recent "adversities" have prompted him to refocus his personal priorities.
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Will Smith said he has worked on self-reflection since the 2022 slap. (Getty Images)
"What I’ve experienced in my adversities of the last couple years is, I have to be clear about who I am and what I am attempting to do in the world," he said during a panel at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, per a video shared by Deadline on X. "I can’t need others to applaud for me to stay focused on my mission."
He added, "I have always wanted to put good into the world, I have always wanted to make people smile, I have always been devoted to the process of joy and inspiration, and I want you to feel good."
Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Stanton contributed to this post.
Christina Dugan Ramirez is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital.
