Will Smith has been trending in the news after slapping comedian Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars. And while the public, and even some celebrities have been speculating whether this was staged or not, the rumours can be put to rest after Smith issued an apology.
“I would like to publicly apologise 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,” Smith wrote on Instagram.
This comes after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hairstyle, comparing it to the movie G.I. Jane in which the actress Demi Moore shaved her head bald.
Smith then walked on stage and slapped Rock, leaving those in the audience speechless, and returned to his seat shouting, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f****** mouth.”
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences issued a statement and condemned Smith’s behaviour.
“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,” the statement said.
Smith also apologised to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world, including the Williams family and King Richard family as he won the Oscar for portraying Richard Williams, the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
“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,” Smith expressed.
Pinkett Smith has been open about battling alopecia and admitted that she was diagnosed with the condition in a 2018 episode of Red Table Talk.
“I’ve been having issues with hair loss,” she said, explaining how “terrifying” it was to find clumps of hair falling out in the shower. This led her to experiment with different styles and turbans.
After first opening up about her hair loss, she revealed that she made the decision to shave her head along with her 21-year-old daughter Willow. In an Instagram post, Pinkett Smith said: “Willow made me do it because it was time to let go.”
Read Smith’s full apology here:
View this post on Instagram
According to reports, Rock has not pressed charges and has not yet responded to Smith’s apology.
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Picture: The Academy / Instagram