Shaheer Ahmed
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” Smith wrote on Instagram. The altercation between Smith and Rock happened after the comedian made a joke at the expense of Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Will reacted by slapping Chris on the face leaving everyone in the audience, including Jada, shocked.
As a result, Smith was banned from the Oscars for 10 years, and Smith also resigned from his Academy membership, though his Oscar was not revoked and he won’t be restricted from being eligible for future awards.
Will Smith has broken his silence and openly apologized to Chris Rock, posting an emotional video Friday in which he goes through a series of questions addressing his slap of Rock on the Oscars stage just minutes before he would win the Best Actor Oscar.
Smith said that he reached out to Rock but received a message in return that Rock will reach out when he’s ready to talk.
Smith addressed the incident onstage after he had won his Oscar, and he further posted a series of written apology statements, but Friday’s video is the first time he’s addressed it publicly on camera since Oscar night, and he has yet to do any press following the slap.
Smith finally addressed his fans and people who look up to him as a role model in Hollywood, saying that he was “deeply remorseful” of his behavior.
