Will Smith has shared a video in which he again apologized to Chris Rock for slapping the comedian at the 2022 Oscars.
Smith, who won Best Actor for his role in “King Richard” on that now-infamous night on March 27, admitted Friday that he was “fogged out” in the moments after the slap and that is why he did not apologize to Rock in his acceptance speech.
“I reached out to Chris, and the message that came back is he’s not ready to talk, but when he is, he will reach out,” Smith said in the video posted to YouTube. “I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable, and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
Smith, 53, further apologized to Rock’s mother and brother Tony Rock.
“That was one of the things about that moment that I didn’t realize,” he continued. “I wasn’t thinking about how many people got hurt in that moment. I want to apologize to Chris’ mother, to Chris’ family, especially his brother Tony Rock.”
He added, “This is probably irreparable.”
The “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” alum clarified that his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, did not tell him to “do something” after she rolled her eyes upon hearing the alopecia joke that sparked the confrontation. He also said that letting people down, including his wife, has always been his worst nightmare.
“Disappointing people is my central trauma. I hate when I let people down, so it hurts psychologically and emotionally to know that I didn’t live up to people’s image and impression of me,” he explained. “The work I’m trying to do is I am deeply remorseful, and I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself.”
Smith called upon the age-old apologia tactic of chalking up his error to simply being a “human” who “made a mistake” but added that he is “trying not think of [himself] as a piece of s–t.”
“I know it was confusing. I know it was shocking, but I promise you I am deeply devoted to putting light and love and joy into the world,” he concluded.
The “I Am Legend” star initially apologized to the “Down to Earth” actor, 57, the day after the Academy Awards in a lengthy statement posted to social media.
“I was out of line and I was wrong,” he wrote at the time. “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.”
Smith then went totally off the grid and resurfaced in India, where he was seen looking in great spirits while interacting with fans.
Rock, meanwhile, has been continuing his comedy tour, during which he has vaguely referenced the incident but has yet to open up about it fully.
The slap led to Smith’s resignation from the Academy and a 10-year ban from all of the organization’s events. Credit: New York Post.