‘Unacceptable and inexcusable.’ Will Smith apologizes to Chris Rock, Academy, viewers
Actor Will Smith apologized to Chris Rock in a social media post a day after being involved in one of the most unscripted and shocking moments in Oscars history.
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive,” Smith posted on Instagram. “My behavior 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.”
Smith won the best actor Oscar for his role in “King Richard” Sunday night, moments after a tense, show-stopping moment in which he walked onto the stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock who had had just made a joke at his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s expense.
After slapping Rock’s face with an open hand, Smith walked back casually to his seat on the front row of the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Smith then cursed Rock from his seat in a moment that ABC was forced to dump, which caused an odd edit. International feeds of the telecast, however, clearly picked up Smith’s profane, almost unhinged emotions. “Keep my wife’s name out of your [expletive] mouth,” Smith said to Rock.
Smith apologized to the Academy and to his fellow nominees during his acceptance speech Sunday night but did not apologize to Rock. He did that in Monday’s Instagram post.
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,” Smith said. “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.”
Smith reiterated apologies to the Academy, Oscars producers, attendees, and “everyone watching around the world.”
Academy officials condemned Smith’s actions and said they are investigating the incident to determine any potential ramifications for Smith.
He also apologized to the Williams family, for which he portrayed tennis coach Richard Williams, the father of tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams.
“I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us,” he said. “I am a work in progress.”
This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 7:31 PM.
