Maddie & Tae’s Maddie Makes Will Smith Joke


Maddie Font.
Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock

Winning! Maddie & Tae’s Maddie Marlow stole the 2022 CMT Music Awards show with her heartfelt acceptance speech — as partner Tae Dye watched from home — on Monday, April 11.

“Damn! Let me tell you about the devil,” Marlow, 26, said at the Nashville awards show while taking home the trophy for Group/Duo Video of the Year, referencing Denzel Washington’s words to Will SmithFollowing his famous 2022 Oscars slap last week.

The Texas native, who is one half of the musical duo, continued: “He’ll try to get you when you’re doing right, but God loves you. God loves you. OK Devil, let’s go baby!”

Maddie Font Cries Accepting CMT Awards Maddie Tae 2022 CMT AWARDS
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Marlow, who married Jonah Font in 2019, caught viewers’ attention with her speech just weeks after Smith, 53, turned heads for slapping Chris RockAt the Academy Awards on February 27,

During the King Richard star’s acceptance speech for best actor later that night he too referenced God being a devil. “Denzel said to me a few minutes ago, ‘At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you,’” Smith said at the time.

Washington, 67, later explained his post-slap words of wisdom for Smith, saying, “There’s a saying when the devil ignores you, then you know you’re doing something wrong.” He told reporters in March that “for whatever reason, the devil got a hold of that circumstance that night” and overtook the Bel-Air’s Fresh Prince actor.

On Monday, however, Marlow seemed to be poking fun at the devil’s possible part in her and Dye’s win for “Woman You Got.”

She even let out a laugh before turning her attention to the screen behind her where her longtime BFF and Maddie & Tae counterpart, 26-year-old Dye, was watching with her newborn daughter, Leighton Grace.

“Oh, I miss you. I miss you so much, I can’t do this without you,” Marlow said, breaking down into tears. “There’s my girl. And I’ve been drinking because I’m so nervous.”

The “Friends Don’t” songstress added: “Tae, I miss you so bad.” Dye, who married Josh Kerr in 2020, echoed her partner’s words, chiming in, “I love you Maddie.”

Marlow continued her speech after Dye gave her support. “Thank you, tell that baby girl I love her,” she said.

The country musician then thanked the duo’s fans for all their love and support over the years, before turning her attention to their team.

“Most importantly, the resilience that God has built in us and our team, the vision he has given us. The clarity God has given us, the strength He has given us and the peace He brings,” Marlow told the audience. “This is much bigger than a music video award.”

She joked: “God knows I’ve been drinking wine. Thank you, Jesus and CMT, I’m so grateful.”

Dye finished off the speech from her living room, adding, “Thank you. Thank you so, so much.”

The female duo teamed up in 2014 and released their debut album a year later. Start Here. In 2020, the women lost their second record. It Feels This Way.

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