Los Angeles: Will Smith apologized to Chris Rock for slapping him at the Oscars, calling his actions “inappropriate and reprehensible.”
“I’d like to apologize to you, Chris, officially,” he stated in a statement. “It was out of line, and I was mistaken.”
It comes after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts, and Sciences criticized Smith. They ordered a full investigation into the event.
The actor struck Rock after the comedian made a joke about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Rock had targeted Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, which resulted from the hair-loss condition alopecia.
Soon after, Smith won his first Academy Award for playing the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams in King Richard.
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“Violence in all of its forms is corrosive and destructive,” Smith stated in a statement shared on Instagram.
“My behavior at the Academy Awards was both terrible and inexcusable. Jokes about my physical condition are part of the work, but one about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to handle. I reacted emotionally.”
Smith apologized to Rock immediately, saying he was “out of line.” He also expressed regret to the Academy and the Williams family.
“I profoundly apologize that my actions have tainted what has otherwise been a beautiful adventure for all of us.” Smith wrote.
Before Smith’s apology, the Oscars organization declared that it “condemns Smith’s acts.”
“We have formally begun a formal assessment of the incident. We will investigate further action and repercussions per our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct, and California law,” the company said. — The BBC
