Still recovering. Will Smith opens on where he is with Chris Rock after his now infamous slap at the 2022 Oscars.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum, 53, uploaded a moving video to Instagram on Friday, July 29, captioned “Thank you all.” At the start of the clip, text appears onscreen reading, “It’s been a minute…Over the past few months I’ve done a lot of self-reflection and homework…You’ve asked a lot of fair questions that I wanted to take”. some time to respond.
Smith is seen taking a deep breath as he sits in front of the camera to answer questions about what happened at the Oscars earlier this year. When asked why he didn’t apologize to Rock, 57, in his Best Actor acceptance speech moments after the slap, the Will be the author said the night was blurry. “I was foggy at that time,” he explained. “Everything is blurry.”
The I’m a legend The actor then revealed that he spoke to the comedian following their spat. “The message that came back was that he’s not ready to talk,” Smith said. “And when he is, he will reach out. So let me tell you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk. …I try not to think of myself as a piece of shit.
Smith then issued a direct apology to Rock’s mother. “I saw an interview that Chris’ mom did and, you know, that was just one of the things about that moment, I just didn’t realize it and, you know, I didn’t think about how many people were hurt at that moment,” the Philadelphia native continued. “So I want to apologize to Chris’ mom, I want to apologize to Chris’s family. Chris.”
As he answered further questions, Smith sent a message to fellow nominees and members of the public at the awards show in March. “It’s a community. It’s like I won because you voted for me,” he said. “It truly breaks my heart that I stole and tarnished your moment. I can still see quest lovethe eyes of – it happened on quest love‘s price. And… I’m sorry, that’s really not enough.
The King Richard The actor made headlines at the 2022 Oscars when he stormed onto the stage and slapped Rock in the face. After the Madagascar star made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smithsuffered due to alopecia, Smith yelled at Rock to “keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”
Days after the ceremony, Smith publicly apologized for his “inexcusable” behavior in a lengthy Instagram post. He was then banned from all Oscar events for the next 10 years and resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Rock, for his part, addressed the situation in his stand-up comedy sets. “I’m not a victim, motherfucker,” he said during a performance at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey on Sunday, July 24, according to an eyewitness. “Yeah, that hurts, motherfucker. But I shook that shit off and went to work the next day…I don’t go to the hospital for a paper cut.
Scroll down to see more of Smith’s revelations about the aftermath of the slap: