Actor Will Smith has officially apologized to comedian Chris Rock for slapping him while he was on stage at the Academy Awards Sunday evening following a joke about the actor’s wife.
The assault, which occurred during a live portion of the show, occurred after Rock told a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head amid her ongoing battle with hair loss.
In his apology, Smith said he was “out of line” and “wrong” for striking Rock, The Daily Wire reported.
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive,” the 53-year-old actor captioned his post 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.”
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“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,” he noted further.”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,” Smith noted further. “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. Sincerely, Will.”
As previously reported, Rock declined to press charges against Smith, though the smack was seen by many as criminal assault.
A full statement from the Los Angeles Police Department said: “LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program. The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.”
Earlier reports also noted that a “formal review” was launched by the Academy Awards to determine whether Smith should lose his Oscar for Best Actor in a Lead Role.
Per The Daily Wire:
Will Smith is under formal review after he walked on stage during the 94th Academy Awards show and slapped Chris Rock in the face after Rock cracked a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss.
“The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show,” a spokesperson for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences shared, according to a report from Variety that was published Monday.
“We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct, and California law,” the statement added.
Pinkett Smith announced last year she shaved her head due to her struggles with alopecia, which is an autoimmune condition resulting in hair loss.
Rock jokingly compared Pinkett Smith’s shaved head to the look of Demi Moore in the 1997 movie “G.I. Jane.”
“Jada, I love ya,” Rock told the audience. “G.I. Jane 2 movie, can’t wait to see it.”
Cameras on Pinkett Smith caught her reacting negatively to the joke, and within a few seconds, Will Smith stood up, walked onto the stage, and slapped Rock.
A stunned Rock said, “Will Smith just slapped the s**t outta me!”
As Smith returned to his seat, he shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***king mouth!”
“Wow, dude,” Rock replied. “It was a G.I. Jane joke.”
At that, Smith repeated his demand, only louder: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***king mouth!”
(Warning: Video contains strong language)
Full video/audio of Will Smith vs. Chris Rock. (NSFW language obviously.) #Oscars pic.twitter.com/k7pX27lI3J
— Adam Silverstein (@SilversteinAdam) March 28, 2022
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