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28th Mar 2022

Red carpet prankster who was slapped by Will Smith speaks out after Chris Rock beef

Charlie Herbert

‘I feel you Chris Rock’

A prankster who was slapped by Will Smith on the red carpet has reacted after Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars on Sunday night, joking that the actor ‘practiced’ on him first.

Smith was on the red carpet back in 2012 for the premier of Men In Black 3 when he was approached by Ukrainian comedian and prankster Vitalii Sediuk, who was pretending to be a reporter.

Sediuk asked the 53-year-old for a hug, but ended up trying kiss the actor on the lips instead. This prompted an angry reaction from Smith, who pushed the prankster away before trying to slap him with the back of his hand.

Admittedly, he doesn’t make a huge about of contact, but the intent is certainly there.

Taking to Instagram after Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage at the Academy Awards on Sunday night, Sediuk (@vitaliisediuk) wrote: “But @willsmith practiced on me first, only to perform his slap at the Oscars.”

In a post on his Instagram, Sediuk said Smith had ‘practiced on me first’ (@vitaliisediuk/Instagram)

In a later post, Sediuk wrote: “I feel you @chrisrock”

(@vitaliisediuk/Instagram)

After his incident with Sediuk, Smith was asked by David Letterman why he “beat up a guy who was trying to hug you.”

Smith replied: “I didn’t beat up a guy!”

He recalled: “He says, ‘I’m your biggest fan, can I have a hug?’

“So I go to give this joker a hug, and he tries to lean in and kiss me!”

Sediuk later apologised for the incident, and that next time he would “just shake his hand” instead, the Irish Mirror reports.

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