DJ Jazzy Jeff has insisted Will Smith's Oscars slap was a "lapse in judgment".
During the 2022 Academy Awards on 27 March, the King Richard actor walked onto the stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock after he compared his wife Jada Pinkett Smith - who has the medical condition alopecia - to G.I. Jane.
Appearing on Closed Sessions Legend Conversation recently, Smith's longtime collaborator Jazzy Jeff defended his friend.
"Don't get it twisted that it was something he was proud of. It was a lapse in judgment, you know?" he argued. "I think the thing that I've realised is I don't know too many people that has had the least amount of lapse of judgment than him (sic). I can name 50 times that he should've smacked the s**t out of somebody and he didn't. So, for him to have a lapse in judgment, he's human. And I think a lot of the criticism comes from the people who don't think people like that are human."
Smith apologised to the Academy members and his peers during his acceptance speech for Best Actor at the film event.
Last week, the 53-year-old was banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years.
