A reporter who was slapped by Will Smith back in 2012 has reacted to the infamous moment at Sunday's Oscars when the actor stormed on stage and hit Chris Rock.
Vitalii Sediuk - who is also a self-proclaimed prankster - joked that Smith had "practiced" on him before slapping Rock at the Academy Awards Ceremony.
The King Richard star has been at the center of a media storm since his altercation with the comedian, which was prompted by a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Before presenting the academy award for Best Documentary, Rock poked fun at Pinkett Smith by suggesting that her closely-shaven head could make her a good fit for a future GI Jane movie. The 50-year-old actress - who suffers from alopecia - was clearly not amused by the gag. But it was her husband who shocked the audience when, moments later, he was seen jumping up on stage at smacking Rock across the face.
As the comedian tried to diffuse the situation, Smith shouted at him from the audience: "Keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth."
The jaw-dropping moment was broadcast live around the world and has sparked a global debate, with everyone from actors to comedians to Smith's own mom weighing in.
But for one person, the situation was all too familiar. Ukrainian reporter Sediuk knows only too well what it's like to be slapped by Smith, who struck him at the Moscow premiere of Men In Black III in 2012.
After asking the star for a hug on the red carpet, Sediuk dove in for a big kiss. Unsurprisingly, Smith wasn't best pleased. In a clip of the moment, he can be seen shoving Sediuk away and then slapping him with the back of his hand.
In a post on Instagram, the Ukrainian reporter compared the incident with the one that occurred at the Academy Awards, writing: "But @willsmith practiced on me first, only to perform his slap at the Oscars."
Smith has spoken previously about why he slapped Sediuk, telling chat show host David Letterman: "I didn't beat up a guy...I go to give this joker a hug, and he tries to lean in and kiss me!"
Meanwhile, Sediuk has since apologized to Smith for trying to kiss him. Not that that has stopped him from trying to pull similar stunts on other celebs. These celebs include Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brad Pitt, who went on to get a restraining order against him, per The New York Post.
