Nadhim Zahawi said it was “heartbreaking” to watch the Oscar winner Will Smith “lose control” during the awards ceremony and hit the host Chris Rock live on stage on Sunday.
Rock joked that Jada Pinkett Smith, who suffers from alopecia, looked like “GI Jane 2”, prompting her husband to walk on stage and hit the host.
Smith then shouted: “Leave my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”
Moments later, the actor won an Oscar for best actor for his role in the film King Richard and tearfully apologised for his outburst during his acceptance speech.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast’s Sally Nugent on Monday, the education secretary said that if he were a teacher this morning, he would discourage pupils from copying the actions of the Oscar winner.
“You can see Will Smith, and my heart was broken for him, that tearful apology - he apologised immediately.
“It was hard for him, it was someone who made a joke about his wife and her illness – that’s not easy. But he regretted it.”
He continued: “It is heartbreaking when you lose control of your emotions in that way, but it’s important not to allow yourself to cross that line.”
Zahawi later told LBC: “Violence is never the answer to any problem.”
He said the actor’s apology was “heart-wrenching”, and pointed out that even a “joke can be below the belt, I think Chris Rock was mistaken to do that”.
The cabinet minister said Smith is “one of my favourite actors”, and that the film which secured Will’s Oscar win was “brilliant”, before concluding: “I wish Will and his family all the best.”
The Oscars has also released a statement after the ceremony, which read: “The Academy does not condone violence of any form.”
The LA Police Department revealed that Rock has not pressed charges against Smith.
Officers told PA news agency: “The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report.
“If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.”
