Just over four months after slapping Chris Rock in the face on stage at the Oscars 2022, Will Smith broke his silence again about the case.
The actor posted a video almost 6 minutes long on his official YouTube channel, in which he apologizes for what happened and answers questions asked to him on the internet. These include questions such as "Why didn't you apologize to Chris in your acceptance speech?" and “After Jada rolled her eyes, did she ask you to do something?”.
Watch Will Smith's video below:
“It's been a minute… For the past few months, I've been doing a lot of thinking and doing a lot of personal work,” says the title screen of the video posted by Smith. So the text says that people have been asking a lot of fair questions and that Smith wanted to take some time before answering them.
Afterwards, Smith reads the questions posed to him and answers them, appearing to be quite remorseful for what happened.
The first question was directed at why Smith did not apologize to Chris Rock during the ceremony, in his acceptance speech for the Best Actor award, which he won that night. Smith took the opportunity to apologize, and revealed that he contacted Chris Rock, but that the singer is not ready to talk to him about it.
“It's all hazy. I contacted Chris and the message he returned is that he is not ready to talk. When he is, he'll get in touch. I'll tell you Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I'm here whenever you're ready to talk,” revealed Smith.
“I want to apologize to Chris' mother. I saw an interview that [she] did, and that was one of the things that I just didn't realize. I was not thinking, but how many people got hurt at that time. I want to apologize to Chris's mother, I want to apologize to Chris's family, specifically Tony Rock. We had a great relationship. Tony Rock was my guy. This is probably irreparable.”
“I've spent the last three months replaying and understanding the nuance and complexity of what happened in that moment. I won't try to unpack all of this now, but I can tell you all, there's no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave at that time. No part of me thinks this is the ideal way to deal with a feeling of disrespect or insult," concluded the actor.
Then another question was asked whether Smith had slapped Chris Rock at the behest of Jada Pinkett Smith, his wife. "No. I made a choice on my own, from my own experience and my story Chris,” said the actor about the Oscar slap in Chris Rock 2022. “Jada had nothing to do with it. I am so sorry, dear, and I want to apologize to my children and my family for the discomfort I have caused all of us.”
He then apologized to the other Oscar nominees and winners for taking attention away from the ceremony, as all attention turned to the slap instead of the award winners on the night. “To all my fellow nominees, this is a unit. I won because you voted for me and it really breaks my heart that I stole and tarnished your moment. I can still see Questlove's eyes – it happened at the Questlove award – and 'I'm sorry' isn't really enough.”
Finally, Will Smith left a message: “Two things. First, letting people down is my core trauma. I hate it when I let people down, so it hurts me psychologically and emotionally that I didn't live up to people's image and impression of me. The work I'm trying to do is I'm deeply sorry and I'm trying to feel remorse without being ashamed of myself. I'm human and I made a mistake and I'm trying not to think of myself as a piece of m..., so I would say to these people, I know it was confusing, I know it was shocking, but I promise you that I am deeply devoted and pledged to put light, love and joy in the world. If you hold out, I promise we can be friends again.”
Read more:
- Jada Pinkett Smith Hopes for Will Smith and Chris Rock's Reconciliation
- Chris Rock's Mother Speaks Out About Will Smith's Slap And Punishment
- Will Smith Loses Role in Netflix Sequel
Remember the case
It all started during the Oscar 2022 ceremony, while comedian Chris Rock presented the Best Documentary category. At one point, Rock referred to Jada Pinkett Smith as “GI Jane 2”, referring to the 1997 movie “The Edge of the Line”, starring Demi Moore in which the actress appeared bald.
The joke in question makes reference to the shaved head that the actress uses since her alopecia problem intensified. Actor Will Smith, Jada's husband, took the Oscar stage and slapped Chris Rock in the face, causing a great deal of confusion at the ceremony and also among the audience watching from home. Then, the actor was caught on camera shouting "take my wife's name out of your mouth".
The ceremony followed and Will Smith won the Best Actor award, and in his acceptance speech he apologized to the Academy. The next day, the actor again apologized to the Academy, and also apologized to Chris Rock himself.
He subsequently withdrew from the Academy, only to be subsequently banned by it from all its events for 10 years. The actor accepted the Academy's decision. In turn, Chris Rock did not come to file formal complaints against Will Smith.
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