‘Bad Boys’ Director Michael Bay Has Hot Take on Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock

Michael Bay, who played a role in Will Smith‘s development as an action movie star by directing Bad Boys, really doesn’t care about the Oscars slap. In a new interview with Yahoo! News, the Ambulance director said he wished more people were talking about the war in Ukraine instead of what happened on March 27. Smith slapped Chris Rock during the Academy Awards after the comedian joked about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

“First of all, it’s wrong, to begin with,” Bay said while promoting Ambulance. “But that’s all people are talking about. And I don’t really care. Hollywood gets really self-absorbed. There are babies getting blown up in Ukraine right now. We should be talking about that.”

However, Bay said he never saw Smith exhibit angry behavior like that when they worked together. “I’ve worked with him; he is not that guy,” Bay said. “I’ve never seen him lose his cool like that. I thought it was set up ’cause I saw the smirk, and I’ve been on set when Will screws with people when he’s joking with people.”

The Armageddon director pointed out that Smith slapped Rock and did not punch him. “He’s very good at fighting; he’s trained at that,” Bay said. “But it’s wrong to begin with.”

After Rock joked about Pinkett Smith starring in a G.I. Jane sequel because of her shaved head, Smith walked up onstage and slapped Rock. Smith yelled at Rock to “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—ing mouth” when he sat back down. Smith did not apologize to Rock until the day after the Oscars in an Instagram post.

Before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences could take action, Smith resigned from the organization, which hands out the Oscars. “I have directly responded to the Academy’s disciplinary hearing notice, and I will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct,” Smith said in a statement Friday. “My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy.”

Smith later wrote, “I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate. Change takes time, and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.”

Bay directed Smith in the first two Bad Boys movies, alongside Martin Lawrence. Bay did not direct the third film, Bad Boys for Life, but he made a cameo. Sony put the development of a fourth Bad Boys movie on hold after the Oscars incident.