It’s been four months since Will Smith and Chris Rock got into a fight at the Oscars. In the months that followed, Will’s wife Jada Pinket- Smith, and Chris Rock have spoken about the incident, while Will has only been limited to one apology.
The actor finally broke his silence on Friday morning.
The acclaimed actor spoke about the incident in a new emotional video.
“It’s been a minute over the last few months I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and personal work,” the text on the screen reads. “You asked a lot of fair questions that I wanted to take some time to answer.”
When questioned why he didn’t apologize to Chris during his acceptance speech for Best Actor, Will explained: “I was fogged out by that point. It’s all fuzzy.”
“I’ve reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk and when he is, he will reach out.”
“So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable,” Will added, clearly emotional.
The actor also took a moment to apologize to Chris’ mother. “I saw an interview that Chris’s mother did. And, you know, that was one of the things about that moment I just didn’t realize. I wasn’t thinking but how many people got hurt in that moment. So I want to apologize to Chris’ mother.”
Will Smith apologizes to Chris Rock for the Oscars slap in a 5-minute long video
“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”https://t.co/FlZjiL8s5Q pic.twitter.com/a5aHxKVoQ1
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) July 29, 2022
“I want to apologize to Chris’ family,” he continued, calling out Chris’ younger brother, Tony Rock. “We had a great relationship. Tony Rock was my man. And this is probably irreparable.”
The King Richardstar told fans he “spent the last three months replaying and understanding the nuances and and the complexities of what happened in in that moment.”
Will Smith has been and continues to be so vulnerable and transparent about his own work and healing journey. And it all seems incredibly genuine.
May his work be fruitful.
— Candice Marie Benbow (@CandiceBenbow) July 29, 2022
He said that he wasn’t proud of how he handled the situation.
“I can say to all of you, there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave. In that moment. There is no part of me that thinks that’s the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults.”
Will Smith has apologized for the Oscars incident, saying he is “deeply remorseful” for what happened. He has also apologized to Chris Rock and his family.
“There’s no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment.”https://t.co/CDegQoaYBl pic.twitter.com/vnp3hAmYmJ
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) July 29, 2022
The rumors that Jada Pinkett-Smith told him to slap Chris were shut down by the actor.
“It’s like, you know, I made a choice on my own. From my own experiences from my history with Chris. Jada had nothing to do with it,” he explained. “I’m sorry babe.”
We are hoping for healing for everyone involved.
