Will Smith publicly apologizes to Chris Rock following now-infamous Oscars slap: 'I was out of line and I was wrong'
- Will Smith has publicly apologized to Chris Rock after slapping him at the Oscars on Sunday.
- Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia.
Will Smith has apologized to Chris Rock after slapping him onstage at the Oscars on Sunday, following a joke Rock had made about Jada Pinkett Smith's alopecia.
"Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable," Smith said in the Instagram post. "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. I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris."
"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. I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us. I am a work in progress," he added.
During the awards show, Rock made a joke about Pinkett Smith, saying "Can't wait for G.I. Jane 2."
Smith, who seemed to nervously laugh at the joke at first, then walked up on stage and slapped Rock swiftly across the face. He proceeded to sit back down and told Rock to "keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth."
"Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me," Rock said, stunned by the incident.
Moments after, Smith won the Best Actor award for his portrayal as Richard Williams, father of Serena and Venus Williams, in "King Richard."