Everyone is still talking about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars last week. It’s on every media outlet, and no one can get away from it. Iconic actor Denzel Washington says he immediately turned to God after the Chris Rock Oscars slap, which is, in part, why he mentioned the wicked one when talking with Smith.

The legendary actor explained what he meant Saturday when he told Smith, “At your highest moment, be careful. That’s when the devil comes for you.” It was during a leadership summit with author and pastor T.D. Jakes. Washington was invited to speak on his faith. Naturally, the topic of the Oscars came up, with Jakes saying it was like Washington had waded into WWII, to which he responded by saying it was essential.

Washington is quoted with this, “There’s a saying: When the devil ignores you, you know you’re doing something wrong. The devil goes, ‘Oh, no, leave him alone. He’s my favorite.’” He adds, “Conversely, when the devil comes at you, maybe it’s because you’re trying to do something right. And for whatever reason, the devil got ahold of him that night.”

Washington also explained that other people stepped in to attend to Smith after the slap, who he felt needed spiritual counseling. Tyler Perry came and prayed with them both. Though Washington didn’t say what the trio discussed, he did say, “There but for the grace of God, go any of us. Who are we to condemn? I don’t know all the ins and outs of the situation, but I know the only solution was prayer.”

Later on, in the panel interview, Washington talked about the idea of sitting this one out, to which he said, no way, not on my watch. He described the moment right afterward, saying, “I couldn’t have sat in my seat. No way I could have sat in my seat. That’s just not who I am.” This was evident because Washington was photographed getting in between Rock and Smith in the immediate aftermath of the slap.

Some may not know, but Washington is very religious. He often references his Christian faith, which came in handy on Oscar Sunday. Smith also brought Washington up during his acceptance speech about 20 minutes after the slap, where he tearfully apologized to the Academy and the other nominees.

Since Oscar Sunday, Smith has apologized to Rock and resigned from the Academy. His resignation comes after speculation about him staying, but the Academy is still investigating the situation. Meanwhile, Rock has only spoken publicly about the matter once, saying he was still processing what happened. He did start a comedy tour, where ticket prices skyrocketed following the slap. Jada Pinkett-Smith has only spoken once about the matter publicly.

In the moments after Smith slapped Rock, it would be easy to condemn him and cast him aside. However, Washington took the time to talk to Smith and show him empathy and compassion. We should all hope to have someone in our corner like Denzel Washington.