Rishi Sunak has said he relates to Will Smith as they both experienced “having our wives attacked”.
The Chancellor compared himself to the actor who struck Chris Rock over a controversial joke about Jada Pinkett Smith at the Oscars.
However, the politician said at least he didn’t slap anyone.
Sunak told the BBC’s Newscast podcast: “Someone said, ‘Joe Root, Will Smith, and me – not the best of weekends for any of us’.
“But I feel, on reflection, both Will Smith and me having our wives attacked – at least I didn’t get up and slap anybody, which is good.”
It comes as Sunak admitted he found criticism of his wife Akshata Murthy “very upsetting”.
The Chancellor has come under pressure over his wife having a 0.91 per cent stake in Infosys, a company founded by her father, which continues to operate in Russia.
In defence of his wife, he said: “You know, I think it’s totally fine for people to take shots at me. It’s fair game. I’m the one sitting here and that’s what I signed up for.
“Actually, it’s very upsetting and, I think, wrong for people to try and come at my wife, and you know, beyond that actually, with regard to my father-in-law, for whom I have nothing but enormous pride and admiration for everything that he’s achieved.
“No amount of attempted smearing is going to make me change that because he’s wonderful and has achieved a huge amount, as I said, I’m enormously proud of him.”
Labour and the Liberal Democrats are calling on Sunak to answer “very serious questions” over Murthy’s stake in the IT services and consultancy company.
Sunak has refused to be quizzed over his wife’s business affairs.
Meanwhile in the Hollywood spheres, Smith has attracted widespread criticism for slapping Rock over a joke about his wife’s shaved head.
Pinkett Smith has openly discussed her experience with the hair-loss condition alopecia.
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The actor - who went on to win the first Oscar of his career at the dramatic award ceremony - has since apologised for his “inexcusable” actions.
