"The myth collapsed": French comedian Éric Judor speaks out on Will Smith's infamous Oscars slap

Four years after the events that shook the 94th Academy Awards, the infamous altercation between Will Smith and comedian Chris Rock continues to spark reactions across the globe. Invited on Konbini's Small Talk format to promote his new feature film Le Roi du game, French actor and director Éric Judor spoke candidly about the striking episode.

A shattered public image

For the iconic French comedian, this loss of composure on international television only validated doubts he had harbored for quite some time. While his own children viewed Will Smith as the ultimate fun, approachable movie star, Judor had formed a much more skeptical opinion after discovering the Smith family's online confessions and talk show.

A cynical view of Hollywood facades

According to the director, exposing their private lives so publicly already hinted at deep underlying cracks. For him, the physical violence of the Oscars incident simply exposed a glaring gap between the polished image projected by major studios and reality. He also emphasized that the true victim of that evening remained Chris Rock, forced to endure the humiliation in front of the entire entertainment industry.

Current projects

While Hollywood continues to deal with the long-term fallout of the scandal for the former Fresh Prince, Éric Judor is currently starring in his latest comedy film, Le Roi du game, playing a father willing to go to extreme lengths to reconnect with his daughter within a quirky medieval fantasy gaming world.