Will Smith Apologises To Chris Rock For Oscars Slap: "Violence Is Poisonous"

29 March 2022, 10:56

By Capital FM

@CapitalOfficial

Will Smith has apologised to Chris Rock following the incident at the 2022 Oscars, stating that his actions were 'out of line'.

Will Smith has issued a public apology following his altercation with Chris Rock at the Oscars on Monday, March 28.

At the 94th Academy Awards ceremony, Will slapped Chris Rock on stage after the host made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

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The bizarre turn of events quickly sent the internet into a tailspin as everyone reacted to the dramatic award show moment, the Academy also released a statement in which they said it ‘does not condone violence of any form’.

The 53-year-old actor has now apologised to the comedian in a post shared to his social media pages, branding his actions as ‘unacceptable and inexcusable’.

Watch the full confrontation between Will Smith and Chris Rock live on the Oscars stage after gag about Jada Pinkett Smith

The now-famous slap occurred after Chris made a joke about Will's wife of 25 years, where he poked fun at Jada's shaved hair. The comedian said during his hosting segment: “Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see you."

The swipe at Jada’s buzzcut touched on a sensitive topic as the actress has previously opened up about her battle with alopecia.

The King Richard actor posted the statement to Instagram the day following the Oscars, he wrote: "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 explained to his 61.7 million followers.

He directly addressed Chris: "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."

The actor was attending the awards in support of his 2021 film King Richard, he was nominated and won Best Actor for his titular role of Richard Williams in the biopic based on Venus and Serena Williams' tennis careers.

Smith also extended an apology to the Academy and the Williams family, who were also supporting the sports drama's nominations at the award show.

He wrote: "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 behaviour has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us."

Will capped off the post by stating that he is "a work in progress".

The Academy has announced that it has launched a formal investigation into the on-stage incident.

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