It was the slap heard around the world.
Four months after slapping Chris Rock across the face on national television during the 2022 Oscars (March 27), Will Smith returned to social media to address the incident.
In a nearly six minute video posted to Instagram today (July 29), he writes, “It’s been a minute… Over the last few months, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and personal work. You asked a lot of fair questions that I wanted to take some time to answer.”
The video then flashed to Smith sitting down in a chair, ready to answer the questions head on that so many people have had.
The first question he reads out loud: “Why didn’t you apologize to Chris Rock in your speech?” Looking directly into the camera, Smith – who won the Academy Award for Best Actor– says he was “fogged out” by that point.
WILL SMITH
The King Richard actor clarifies that he has reached out to the comedian after the incident, but the response he received was that Rock wasn’t ready to talk and that he would reach out when he is ready.
“I will say to you Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
Smith also spoke directly to Rock’s family noting in the moment, he didn’t think about how many people would be hurt by his actions.
“To Chris’s mother, I want to apologize. To Chris’s family, specifically Tony Rock… Tony Rock was my man and this is probably irreparable.”
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“I spent the last three months replaying and understanding the nuances and the complexities of what happened in that moment. I’m not going to try to unpack all of that right now but I can say to you all that there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment,” Smith explained. “There’s no part of me that thinks that’s the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults.”
During the March 27 show, Rock was presenting the award for best documentary film when he made a comparison between Jada Pinkett-Smith and G.I Jane. The joke lead Will Smith to yell, “keep my wifes name out of your f*cking mouth!”
Shortly after, he stormed on stage and slapped the comedian across the face.
Many people noted that Pinkett-Smith seemed to laugh at the joke initially, before getting upset. That led to speculations on whether or not she had a hand in the actor’s outburst.
WILL SMITH, JADA PINKETT SMITH
“I made a choice on my own, from my own experiences from my history with Chris. Jada had nothing to do with it,” he clarified. “I want to say sorry to my kids and my family for the heat that I brought on all of us.”
A week after the incident, Smith resigned from the Academy Awards saying he “disrespected” the Academy. That decision meant he could no longer vote in future Academy Awards.
“To all my fellow nominees– this is a community. I won because you voted for me and it really breaks my heart to have stolen and tarnished your moment,” he said in the July 29 video. “I can still see Questlove’s eyes– it happened on Questlove’s award and you know it’s like ‘I’m sorry’ really isn’t sufficient.”
On April 8, the board of the Academy Awards determined Smith would no longer be allowed at “any events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards” for 10 years.
To the fans who looked up to the decorated actor he said: “I am deeply remorseful and I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself. I’m human and I made a mistake and I’m trying not to think of myself as a piece of shit.” He continued, “I know it was confusing. I know it was shocking, but I promise you, I am deeply devoted and committed to putting light and love and joy into the world and if you hang on I promise we’ll be able to be friends again.”
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