Will Smith Finally Offers Apology For Slapping Chris Rock

Will Smith is finally making a personal apology to comedian Chris Rock after slapping him during the Oscars.

In the emotional apology, Smith said he reached out to Chris but as of right now Chris doesn’t want to talk to him.

Will continued to say he understands how Chris feels and would go on to say “I will say to you Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”

Watch the full apology here:

The Guardian had more details to report:

Will Smith has posted an emotional video to his social channels expressing remorse over the Oscars slap.

The 53-year-old actor caused controversy at this year’s ceremony after he slapped Chris Rock onstage after a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and her appearance. Smith released a statement on Instagram to apologise but has been silent since.

The almost six-minute video, uploaded on his YouTube channel and Instagram page, shows Smith answering questions that have circulated since, starting with why he didn’t apologise to Rock in his acceptance speech.

“It’s all fuzzy,” Smith said. “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 apologise to you. My behaviour was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”

He then takes the opportunity to apologise to Rock’s mother. “One of the things about that moment, I just didn’t realise, I wasn’t thinking, but how many people got hurt in that moment,” he said. He then said that the damage to his friendship with Rock’s brother Tony is “probably irreparable”.

Will Smith apologizes to Chris Rock for slapping him during the Oscar telecast, saying in an online video that his behavior was “unacceptable.” Smith says he reached out to the comedian about the incident but was told Rock wasn’t ready to talk. https://t.co/yM8WrqXoiI

— The Associated Press (@AP) July 29, 2022

The Associated Press chipped in too:

Will Smith has again apologized to Chris Rock for slapping him during the Oscar telecast in a new video, saying that his behavior was “unacceptable” and that he had reached out to the comedian to discuss the incident but was told Rock wasn’t ready.

“There is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment,” Smith said in the under-six minute video posted online Friday. “I am deeply remorseful and I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself.” To Rock, he said: “I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”

Smith, seated in a polo shirt and white ball cap, spoke directly to a camera, answering pre-selected questions about his behavior at the March 27 Academy Awards, when he slapped presenter Rock after the comedian made a reference about the hairstyle of Jada Pinkett Smith, Smith’s wife.

Smith also apologized to Rock’s family and especially his mother, Rosalie, who was horrified to see her son hurt and told US Weekly that, “When he slapped Chris, he slapped all of us. He really slapped me.” Smith also apologized to Tony Rock, Chris’ younger brother.

In case you never saw the slap heard around the world here it is: