The American actor Will Smith apologized publicly to comedian Chris Rock, whom he had slapped the day before on the stage of the Oscars after a joke about his wife. Chris Rock has offered his apology to the Smith family.
It is a joke of Chris Rock on the shaved head of Jada Pinkett Smith, suffering from alopecia — a disease causing a significant loss of hair, from which she revealed suffering a few years ago — which had triggered the slaughter.
Will Smith had suddenly gone on stage and slapped Chris Rock under the stunned eye of celebrities and viewers. The 53-year-old actor yelled at him “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!” once back in his chair.
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. What I did was inappropriate and I was wrong,” Will Smith wrote on his Instagram account on Monday.
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.
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.
I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.
I am a work in progress.
Sincerely,
Will
Chris Rock apologizes to Jada Pinkett-Smith, Will Smith
“As a comedian, it can be difficult to understand which lines should be crossed and which ones should not. Last night I crossed a line I shouldn’t have and paid a huge price for my reputation as a renowned comedian. Comedy is never about making fun of or minimizing people facing major trials in their lives. Comedy is about using real life circumstances to create laughter and bring light into an otherwise dark world. With that said, I sincerely apologize to my friends Jada Pinkett-Smith, Will Smith, and the rest of the Smith family for the disrespect and disregard I have shown that has unfortunately been broadcast to the world. I hope that in time, forgiveness can come from this situation and that we can all be better, more considerate people in the end.”
