Serena Williams has finally spoken out about Will Smith slapping comedian and host Chris Rock at the Oscars last year.

The actor won an Oscar for his portrayal of Richard Williams in the successful tennis biopic King Richard, but the incident onstage overshadowed the whole evening.

Smith was not charged but was issued a 10-year ban from all Academy events.

What has Serena Williams said?

Williams, who executive-produced the film about her father and tennis coach with her sisters, has broken her silence over the incident last year.

In an interview with CBS Mornings, the 23-time Grand Slam champion was asked about "that moment" at the 2022 Oscars.

Williams admitted she felt the award-winning documentary Summer of Soul, which was being honoured when the altercation broke out, had its limelight taken away.

MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 7: Serena Williams, professional tennis player, and businesswoman, speaks during the Bitcoin 2022 Conference at the Miami Beach Convention Center on April 7, 2022 in Miami, Florida. The worlds largest bitcoin conference runs from April 6-9, expecting over 30,000 people in attendance and over 7 million live stream viewers worldwide.(Photo by Marco Bello/Getty Images)

"I also feel that I've been in a position where I've been under a lot of pressure and made a tremendous amount of mistakes," she continued.

"I'm the kind of person that's like, 'I've been there, I've made a mistake, it's not the end of the world.'

"We're all imperfect and we're all human, and let's just be kind to each other. And I think that's often forgotten a lot."

Why did Will Smith slap Chris Rock?

Before the incident that went viral around the world, Rock made a joke about the appearance of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who suffers with hair loss due to alopecia areata.

The 51-year-old has been vocal about her diagnosis, and in 2021, she started completely shaving her head.

During the Academy Awards ceremony, Rock addressed Pinkett Smith and made a comparison to Demi Moore's portrayal of G.I. Jane, to which Pinkett Smith could be seen rolling her eyes at in response.

Smith initially laughed but then got up and walked onto the stage and slapped Rock, leaving the audience stunned. He then returned to his seat and shouted: "Keep my wife's name out your f***ing mouth!"

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: Will Smith appears to slap Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

There was a lot of debate over whether the incident was staged, and sure enough, the images and footage of the slap went viral.

Smith issued an apology on social media to both the public and Rock, before releasing a further apology video on YouTube in July 2022, directly to Rock, his family, the other Oscar winners, and Pinkett Smith.

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