Will Smith has apologised to Chris Rock after he slapped him at the Oscars, saying his behaviour was “unacceptable and inexcusable”.
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“I would like to publicly apologise to you, Chris,” he said in a statement. “I was out of line and I was wrong.”
Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock in the face on stage after the latter made a joke about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Chris Rock had taken aim at Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, a result of the hair-loss condition alopecia.
Initially, Will Smith appeared to have found the “joke” funny but moments later, Will Smith walked upstage and gave Chris Rock a slap on the face.
After the incident, Will Smith picked up the first Oscar of his career for playing the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams in King Richard.
In a post made on Instagram, Will Smith apologized to Chris Rock.
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive,” Smith said in the statement, which was posted to Instagram.
“My behaviour at last night’s Academy Awards was 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.”
Will Smith apologised directly to Rock, stating he was “out of line”. He also apologised to the Academy and the Williams family.
“I deeply regret that my behaviour has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us,” he wrote.
Prior to Will Smith’s apology, it should be noted that Chris Rock refused to file a police report, and it was reported that he joked backstage after the punch, saying:
“That’s the only time you get hit by Muhammad Ali and it doesn’t leave a scratch,” referring to Smith’s role in the boxer’s biopic.
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