(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) It turns out that the infamous Slappin’ Will Smith‘s first awards-show slap victim was not Chris Rock at the Oscars, the New York Post reported.
Footage has been discovered of Smith slapping a comic posing as a Ukrainian interviewer in 2012 while promoting the movie “Men in Black III.”
Smith was in Moscow when he decided to slap the Ukrainian jokester Vitalii Sediuk in the face.
Seduik tried to kiss Smith, claiming that it was a traditional Ukrainian greeting, but Smith had none of it, breaking out his signature slap.
Smith is first seen in the video shoving Seduik away, asking him, “What the hell is your your problem, man?”
He then proceeded to give Seduik a backhanded slap in the face.
The notorious slapper tried to play off the incident as his crew looked on nervously.
“He tried to kiss me on the mouth … he’s lucky I didn’t sucker-punch him. Oh, I said that on camera — you know it’s all good,” he reassured those around him.
But, back in those days, Hollywood actors weren’t so put off by G-rated violence.
In a later interview, Smith claimed that famous rapper Jay-Z called him later to praise him for his nice backhand.
“I get back and I’m pissed that somebody thinks because you’re famous, they get to do whatever they want to do to you,” Smith said. “So I’m in my room and I had 10 urgent messages from Jay-Z.”
Per Smith’s report, Jay-Z offered him nothing but praise:
“I just saw the video of you slapping the dude in Russia. I just want you to know you’ll never make a better piece of entertainment. It’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“He said, ‘Me and [Beyonce], we got a show tonight, and we’re thinking about canceling it and just staying in and watching you slap this dude.’”
