Entertainment

Will Smith’s ‘King Richard’ Co-Star Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Defends the Oscars Slap: ‘I Stand By That’ Because the First Amendment Should Not ‘Protect A—holes’

Variety · August 13, 2026 at 2:45 PM

Will Smith’s ‘King Richard’ Co-Star Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Defends the Oscars Slap: ‘I Stand By That’ Because the First Amendment Should Not ‘Protect A—holes’

When it comes to Will Smith’s shocking Oscars slap, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is sticking with her “King Richard” co-star.

The Oscar nominee, who played Smith’s on-screen wife as the mother of Venus and Serena Williams in the biopic, told The Daily Beast’s “Obsessed” podcast that she understands why Smith stormed the stage in 2022 and smacked […]

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Will Smith’s ‘King Richard’ Co-Star Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Defends the Oscars Slap: ‘I Stand By That’ Because the First Amendment Should Not ‘Protect A—holes’

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