Serena Williams said the Will Smith slap overshadowed how great King Richard was, and she framed her reaction around forgiveness rather than outrage. She also said, “We’re all imperfect and we’re all human,” and encouraged people to be kind to each other.

What she meant

In her comments to CBS Mornings , Williams didn’t focus on the slap itself so much as the bigger picture: she felt the film’s achievement got lost in the controversy. Her message was basically that people make mistakes, and one bad moment should not define everything else.

The tone of her response

Her wording was calm and reflective, not defensive. She spoke about being under pressure herself and used that as context for why she wouldn’t reduce someone to a single mistake.

Related reaction

When the slap first happened, reports said Serena Williams looked stunned in the audience, which fit the general reaction many people had in the moment.

Mini recap

  • She said the moment overshadowed King Richard.
  • She emphasized that everyone is imperfect.
  • She called for kindness after mistakes.

TL;DR: Serena Williams didn’t condemn or celebrate the slap in her public comments; she said it overshadowed the film and that people should remember everyone is human.