The musician won an Oscar just after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on live TV.
One week after getting caught up in the slapping incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock that happened at the 94th Academy Awards, Questlove acknowledged the moment while at the 64th annual GRAMMY Awards.
"Alright, I'm gonna present this award and I trust that you people will stay 500 feet away from me," the musician, who also took home the GRAMMY for Best Film Music that night, joked while presenting the award for Song of the Year.
"They say it's better to give than receive, and I'm not so sure about that, because last Sunday, of course, it felt pretty good to receive an award, but I will say that it's also great to win a GRAMMY Award from this particular academy," he continued. "For 22 years, the Roots won our first award, and it's exciting as if it were the first time. And you never forget your first time. And this is now a special moment for someone, and we're gonna make a memory for them tonight."
On the previous Sunday, Smith hit Rock while he was presenting the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, which ultimately went to Questlove and the other producers behind Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). “I'm sorry, I'm just overwhelmed right now,” he said while accepting the prize moments after the unexpected squabble between the two comedians.
The following night, Questlove appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he addressed what happened at the Oscars. “Of course, that happened in the cyclone of a whole other situation with two very good friends of mine,” Questlove said of his win, while referencing Smith and Rock. Meditating during the moment, it wasn’t until he was walking toward the stage that he put “two and two together.”
On Friday, Questlove took to Twitter and seemingly addressed the situation by asking, “Can we FINNNNNNNALY stop talking about it?”
The 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards are broadcasting live on CBS and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+. Follow along at ETonline.com for everything you need for music's biggest night, including performers, GRAMMY winners and more.
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