Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Questlove Opens Up About Winning Oscar Moments After Will Smith Slap: 'I Was Not Present At All'

Questlove Opens Up About Winning Oscar Moments After Will Smith Slap: 'I Was Not Present At All'
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Newly-minted Oscar winner Ahmir Khalib Thompson–who is professionally known as Questlove–said he was "not present at all" when he won the Academy Award for his documentary directorial debut, Summer of Soul, on Sunday.

His victory was preceded by the now-infamous slap heard around the world–which involved Will Smith smacking Chris Rock across the face for a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.


Rock went on to announce Questlove's win for the category.



He recalled his meditative mindset during the tense scene that left many rattled.

On Monday, Questlove was congratulated by the titular host of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon–where he and his The Roots bandmates serve as the in-house band.

When they discussed the Smith/Rock scuffle, Questlove told Fallon he chose to meditate instead of giving in to the anxiety at the ceremony.

Questlove said he had been practicing transcendental meditation for two years since comedian Jerry Seinfeld introduced it to him.

He said of Smith and Rock:

"Of course, you know, that happened in the cyclone of a whole [other] situation with two very good friends of mine."
"And I really wasn't aware of that, it's weird to say, because—they tell you ahead of time, ‘This is your category!'"
"And so, in that moment, you're either gonna be full of anxiety—or for me, I've been meditating for the last two years."

He continued:

"When the commercial break was happening, I was just in my ‘mmmm.'"
"So, when I opened my eyes, I didn't realize, like, ‘Why is everyone so quiet?' I literally was not present for that whole entire moment."

When Rock announced Summer of Soul won Best Documentary, the audience was still reeling from the drama that had just played out.

Questlove said he was completely unaware of the chaos that unfolded as he accepted the award.

"And as I'm walking to the stage, I'm kind of putting two and two together and I realize that that was a real moment, maybe three seconds before I spoke words."
"But in my mind, [Rock and Smith] are just doing a sketch or whatever, and I'm just like 'Okay Ahmir, remember to thank your mom, your dad."

You can watch the Jimmy Fallon interview, here.

youtu.be

In his acceptance speech, Questlove explained the significance of the film.

"This is about marginalized people in Harlem that needed to heal from pain," he said. "Just know in 2022—this is not just a 1969 story about marginalized people in Harlem."


Questlove's win was among many celebratory moments at the 2022 Oscars that was overshadowed by the slap that is still a trending topic online.

He admitted to Fallon his "true reward" was getting to create with his friends and colleagues at "30 Rock University" where other NBC shows like Saturday Night Live are filmed in New York city.

The interview concluded with him thanking Fallon for providing him with a platform to "live out my dreams" since he started working for the talk show host in 2009.

More from Entertainment/tv-and-movies

Kid Rock
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Kid Rock Dragged After Donning A Truly Over-The-Top Outfit For His White House Visit

Singer Kid Rock was slammed for wearing a loud patriotic costume inside the Oval Office as Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday against ticket scalping.

The rocker's outfit consisted of a red, white, and blue jacket emblazoned with two eagles facing each other above the American flag with the number 250, a nod to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, and white stars on his sleeves.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Tim Sheehy
CNN

GOP Senator Gets Blunt Reality Check After Comparing Trump Tariff 'Pain' To Home Renovation

Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy was criticized after he tried to compare the "short-term pain" of President Donald Trump's tariffs to home renovation, a claim so ridiculous that CNN's Kaitlan Collins quickly pushed back on the analogy.

Trump has repeatedly referred to April 2 as “Liberation Day,” pledging to impose tariffs—taxes on imports—to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods. He has framed these tariffs as “reciprocal,” aiming to match the duties other nations place on American exports.

Keep ReadingShow less
Susan Crawford; Elon Musk
Scott Olson/Getty Images (left and right)

Liberal Wisconsin Judge Calls Out Elon Musk In Victory Speech—And It's Everything

Liberal judge Susan Crawford called out billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, basking in successfully beating her Republican opponent Brad Schimel and ensuring that the nonpartisan court’s narrow 4-3 liberal majority remains intact despite Musk's efforts to sway the race.

Musk fueled the high-stakes race, having poured more than $20 million into supporting Schimel, according to state campaign records. That includes $3 million to the state Republican Party—$2 million of which was donated just last week. Due to state election laws, large contributions must be funneled through political parties before reaching candidates.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Describe The Worst 'Bonus' They've Ever Gotten At Work

Most of us have worked at one problematic workplace, with reasons ranging from toxic coworkers to terrible bosses to unlivable pay. Sometimes, it feels like a joke that the employees are even being paid at all!

But the biggest joke of all might be the end-of-year bonus, or lack thereof. They're at times so laughable, they take the cake for horrible work conditions, or are quite literally, a slice of cake.

Keep ReadingShow less