Will Smith apologizes—finally—to Chris Rock + incident under 'formal review' by Academy
Will Smith says he was "out of line and I was wrong".(Reuters: Brian Snyder)
By Miriam Collins // Controversy // EEW Magazine Online
After failing to apologize to Chris Rock at last night’s Academy Awards, Will Smith has issued a former apology to the comedian for striking him following a joke about wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
“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,” wrote Smith, 53, on Instagram Monday.”
The “King Richard” actor who took home the best actor award 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.”
Chris Rock (left) reacts after being slapped by Will Smith (right) and continued presenting an award following the incident. (Credit: AFP/Robyn Beck)
Smith has drawn mixed reactions online with many condemning violence, whatever the reason.
"Violence in all forms is poisonous and destructive,” said Smith who had defended his actions during his acceptance speech, characterizing his physical assault of Rock, 57, as being protective.
He also included in his note an apology to "the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world," as well as the family of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams and those involved with the film.
"I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us," he wrote. "I am a work in progress."
Before Smith shocked everyone by smacking Rock, the comedic presenter cracked a joke about Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, saying, “Jada, I love you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it, all right?”—a reference to the 1997 film “G.I. Jane,” starring Demi Moore, who shaved her head to portray a fictional Navy Seal candidate.
It is unclear at the time of writing whether Rock knew the “Red Table Talk” host was diagnosed with alopecia in 2018, an autoimmune disorder that causes your hair to come out.
Following the ceremony, the Academy Awards tweeted a short statement about the on-stage incident that read: "The Academy does not condone violence of any form. Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world."
The Los Angeles Police Department also said Rock chose not to press charges against Smith over the altercation.
By midday on Monday, the Academy released an even stronger statement, this time condemning Smith's actions and revealing they had 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."
According to a CNN report, the Academy had "strongly considered" removing Smith from the Oscars telecast after he hit Rock.
"There were immediate discussions but the Academy decision makers were seated in various spots in the Dolby Theater and couldn't mobilize to make a decision before he won best actor," the source told CNN.
