Will Smith apologized to Chris Rock for slapping him in the face during the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday after the comedian and host of the show made a joke mocking his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith.
The apology came in the form of a written statement hours after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced an investigation into the stunning Hollywood moment.
“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,” Smith said.
Smith slapped Rock onstage after the comedian made a joke mocking Pinkett Smith’s hairstyle. The actress has alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss.
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“Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it,” Rock said. Smith initially seemed to laugh at the joke, while Pinkett Smith appeared to look irritated. Moments later, Smith walked onstage toward Rock and slapped him. Upon returning to his seat, Smith yelled at Rock to keep his wife’s name out of his “f****** mouth.”
“Wow, Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me,” Rock said as the show continued.
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. 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 continued in his statement.
Rock’s joke appears to have been unplanned. Sources close to the awards show informed the Wall Street Journal that Rock had not told the joke at rehearsals.
Shortly after the slap, Smith won best actor for his role in King Richard, which tells the story of the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. During his acceptance speech, Smith offered an apology to the academy and his “fellow nominees” but did not mention Rock.
Rock has not filed a police report, but the incident left people divided on how to respond, including the question of whether the academy should take away his Oscar. The academy released a statement Monday saying it condemned Smith’s actions and announced a “formal review around the incident” exploring “further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”
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“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,” Smith added in his statement.
He concluded, “I am a work in progress.”
