After months of silence, Will Smith is finally ready to talk about his and Chris Rock’s altercation at this year’s Academy Award. The incident left many shocked and confused as Smith got up to smack the comedian while he was in the middle of presenting a category. Much of Will’s aggression had been triggered by Rock’s spikey joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s autoimmune disorder.
On Friday, Smith posted a 6-minute-long video on his YouTube channel and addressed questions that were raised by his loving fans who were disappointed in the actor’s rash decision on the biggest night in Hollywood. In the video, Smith explained that he was “fogged out” after the incident and that’s why he did not apologize to Rock while he was accepting his Oscar for King Richard. “I reached out to Chris, and the message that came back is he’s not ready to talk, but when he is, he will reach out,” revealed the Men In Black actor.Ad
Smith then spoke directly to Rock, “I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behaviour was unacceptable, and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.” The actor went on to address the hurt he caused to Chris’s family, “I wasn’t thinking about how many people got hurt in that moment. I want to apologize to Chris’ mother, to Chris’ family, especially his brother Tony Rock.” He noted, “This is probably irreparable.” Smith also clarified that his wife did not tell him to “do something” after she rolled her eyes at the sensitive joke.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum also talked about letting his fans down, “Disappointing people is my central trauma. I hate when I let people down, so it hurts psychologically and emotionally to know that I didn’t live up to people’s image and impression of me,” he elaborated, “The work I’m trying to do is I am deeply remorseful, and I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself.” He explained that he was focusing on “trying not think of [himself] as a piece of s–t.”
Will Smith concluded his apology with a promise to better himself in the future, “I know it was confusing. I know it was shocking, but I promise you I am deeply devoted to putting light and love and joy into the world.”
