Will Smith apologizes to Chris Rock following Oscars slap
The Oscars 2022 were wrapped in controversy after Will Smith stepped on stage and slapped Chris Rock. While Smith, who won Best Actor at the awards, did not directly apologize to Rock during his acceptance speech, he has since issued a statement online saying sorry to the comedian.
"I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris," reads a statement posted to Smith's social media account. "I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness."
In the post, Smith calls violence, in all of its forms, "poisonous and destructive", and describes his behavior at the Oscars are "unacceptable and inexcusable".
"Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally," he wrote.
Rock had made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, comparing her hair to G.I. Jane, a fictional character with a shaved head. Jada had previously revealed she had been diagnosed with alopecia, which leads to hair loss. Will jumped on stage and hit Rock with an open hand. He then returned to his seat and shouted: "Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth."
Smith's statement finished by apologizing to the Academy, the show's producers, everyone in attendance, and everyone who watched, as well as the Williams family and King Richard family – Smith won the Oscar for playing Richard Williams in the biopic, King Richard.
"I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us," Smith continued. "I am a work in progress." See the Instagram post below.
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