Tyler Perry On Being Friends With Will Smith, Chris Rock After Infamous Oscars Slap

Tyler Perry got candid about his pals Chris Rock and Will Smith's unexpected Oscars moment.

Perry, 52, is friends with both Smith, 53, and Rock, 57. The "A Fall from Grace" star was among the celebrities who approached the "Men in Black" actor after he slapped Rock onstage for joking about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head. During a Tribeca Film Festival Q&A with Gayle King on Monday, he discussed what happened after Smith smacked Rock onstage.

"There's a difference between comforting and deescalating, that's number one," Perry said, per People. "And I left early to get to Chris to make sure he was okay. Being friends with both of them has been very difficult."

He admitted that he consoled both stars. However, he also made sure that the "King Richard" star was aware that what he did was wrong.

"I was there, close up. I left early to go check on Chris because it was wrong in no uncertain terms, and I made sure I said that to Will," Perry continued. "And I'll tell you, when we walked over to him, he was devastated. He couldn't believe what happened. He couldn't believe he did it. And I'm looking at this man in his eyes going, 'What are you doing? This is your night.'"

Perry said that the night was one of Smith's "crowning moments" and he wanted it so "desperately." So, in his opinion, Smith was "very much in reflection of trying to figure out what happened."

Although Perry wanted to empathize with both Smith and Rock, he clarified that violence should not be tolerated and that what Smith did was wrong.

"And trust me, as painful as it was for all of us in the room, it was as painful for Chris, who was a pure champion for the way he handled it," Perry added. "But I want you to understand that something happened that was extremely painful for [Will] as well. That is no excuse. He was completely wrong for what he did. But something triggered him — that is so out of everything he is."

Pinkett Smith said on her Facebook Watch show "Red Table Talk" that she hoped Smith and Rock would reconcile.

"Now, about Oscars night: My deepest hope is that these two intelligent capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out, and reconcile," she said.