In an update to this continuing story, Will Smith took to Instagram to issue a formal apology to comedian Chris Rock.
Not even 24 hours after Smith was seen slapping Rock on the Oscars stage after he performed a joke at Jada Pinkett Smith’s expense, the actor is speaking out about his shocking behavior.
Will Smith FINALLY Addresses the Slap Heard Around the World
Will wrote:
“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.”
What do you think of his apology?
RELATED: After Will Smith ‘Choose Chaos’ at the Oscars, Chris Rock Reveals If He Will Press Charges
Original article:
“Love will make you do crazy things.” That is what Will Smith said after slapping Chris Rock over a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head.
But why did it go as far as it did? Well, here is what we’ve gathered so far.
As Mamas Uncut previously reported, Will Smith and Chris Rock got into a scuffle on the Oscars stage when Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. As the joke was being made, Smith was laughing about himself, however, when he saw Jada’s less than thrilled reaction, Smith got increasingly upset.
Rock joked that he was looking forward to Jada starring in G.I. Jane 2. As Jada rolled her eyes at Rock, Smith got up from his seat, walked on to the stage and slapped Rock across the face.
A stunned Rock commented that “Will Smith just knocked the sh*t out of me,” to which Smith began yelling at the comedian from his seat. “Keep my wife’s name out of your f*cking mouth,” Will screamed.
WARNING THE BELOW VIDEO FEATURE HARSH LANGUAGE:
As Rock did his best to keep his composure and continue on with his presenting duties, Will Smith eventually got his moment on stage too. Smith won the Oscar for best leading actor.
Smith got emotional during his acceptance speech, which was a bit all over the place. However, between is thank you messages, he apologized to the Academy and to his peers for his outburst.
You can watch his full acceptance speech below:
He also appeared to take another dig at Rock by sharing a message Denzel Washington offered him immediately after his scuffle with Rock. “At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you.”
According to CNN, Rock will not be pressing charges against Smith.
“LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program,” the department told CNN in a statement. “The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.”
The Academy also responded to the chaos that ensued saying, “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.”
People are now questioning if Smith will will lose his Oscar given that The Academy has a “code of conduct.” So far, no decision has been made by The Academy.
But as Judd Apatow said in his now-deleted tweet, Will and Jada are not “re not freshman in the world of Hollywood and comedy,” so why did Smith allow himself to become violent? Well, in his acceptance speech, he says it is “because love makes you do crazy things.”
But is it more than that. Over the last several months, Jada has been open about her shaved head on social media. She has revealed she as alopecia and almost chuckled at herself over the hand she has been dealt.
“Mama’s gonna have to take it down to the scalp so nobody thinks she got brain surgery or something,” Jada wrote on Instagram alongside a video of her showing the chunks of hair she lost completely. “Me and this alopecia are going to be friends … period!”
According to the Mayo Clinic, alopecia “can affect just your scalp or your entire body, and it can be temporary or permanent. It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or a normal part of aging. Anyone can lose hair on their head, but it’s more common in men.”
Neither Smith, Jada, nor Rock have spoke out specifically about the incident. It’s unclear if they will.
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