Questlove Says He Missed the Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscars Slap Because He Was Meditating

Questlove says he only became aware of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Oscars after the fact because he was meditating ahead of the announcement of the best documentary winner.

Moving from his normal seat behind the drumkit for house band The Roots to the guest’s chair on Monday’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Summer of Soul director opened up about his experience winning in the best doc category immediately after the shocking moment. Questlove told Fallon that though it “might be weird to say,” he “really wasn’t aware of” what transpired between “two very good friends” of his.

“They tell you ahead of time, this is your category, and so, in that moment, you’re either going to be full of anxiety or, for me, I’ve been like meditating for the past couple of years,” he said. “And when the commercial break happened, I was in my ‘Mmmm.’ So when I opened my eyes, I didn’t realize. ‘Why is everyone so quiet?’”

The Roots co-founder said he didn’t understand the context or severity of that moment until he was actually approaching the stage, where he accepted the award from the category’s presenter, Rock.

“As I’m walking to the stage, I’m kind of putting two and two together, and I realize that was a real moment like maybe three seconds before I spoke words. But in my mind, they were just doing a sketch or whatever, and I’m just like, ‘OK Ahmir, remember to thank your mom, your dad.’ So I was not present at all. I was just in a blank space,” he explained.

The rest of the interview featured Questlove sharing tales from the night, including why he kept his Oscar with him even on the plane ride back to New York and Fallon celebrating Questlove’s win by sharing how emotional he got along with a photo of Questlove with his mother on the carpet.

During the 2022 Oscars ceremony on Sunday night, held at L.A.’s Dolby Theatre, Smith walked onstage and slapped Rock after the presenter joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head. (The actress, who is also Smith’s wife, has alopecia.) After Rock acknowledged he was slapped, Smith shouted from his seat in the audience, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!”

Following the incident, the Academy released a statement condemning Smith’s actions and announced it was to start a formal review around it. During the ceremony, Smith apologized to the Academy and ceremony attendees for his behavior earlier in the evening, and on Monday, published a formal apology to Rock on his Instagram, calling his behavior “unacceptable and inexcusable.” The night of the Oscars, the LAPD confirmed that Rock had declined to file a police report.