Source: Lee Celano / Getty
Whatever side of “the slap” you’re on, Will Smith issued an apology to Chris Rock for striking him at the 2022 Oscars. With tons of alleged statements circulating social media, including a false one from Chris Rock that his publicist debunked, Will Smith took to Instagram to apologize to the comedian and the Academy.
The official statement begins, “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior 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.”
In case you missed it, and have been under a rock the size of an asteroid, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock after Rock insulted Jada’s bald head. “Can’t wait for GI Jane 2,” he joked. While Will laughed in the seconds after, Jada was visibly upset, which led to Will walking on stage and delivering the slap seen and heard ’round the world.
His social media statement 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.”
We speculate Will was just as fatigued by insensitive comments about his marriage and wife as we are in this story. However, the news cycle doesn’t appear to be letting us. Caroline Bright, Smith’s mother, and Ricard Williams, who Will Smith portrayed in King Richard for which he won the “Best Actor” Oscar, have also reacted to the slap.
“He is a very even, people person. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him go off. First time in his lifetime… I’ve never seen him do that,” Carolyn Smith told Philadelphia’s WPVI in a viral interview.
“We don’t know all the details of what happened,” Richard Williams, via his son Chavoita LeSane, told NBC News. “But we don’t condone anyone hitting anyone else unless it’s in self-defense.”
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