'I'm sorry, Chris Rock,' Will Smith apologises

29 March 2022

Everyone has forgotten the particulars of the 2022 Oscars, not even the fact that Samuel L Jackson won an Oscar, no, because the highlight was the fact that Will Smith walked on stage and slapped the host, Chris Rock.

This was after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett's hairstyle.

Well, now Smith has apologised for slapping Rock in a statement shared on his social media.

"Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behaviour 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."

He continued, "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."

Adding, "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. I am a work in progress."

Prior to this apology, the organisation behind the Oscars said in a statement that it "condemns the actions" of Smith.

"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," it said.