After the infamous slap that Will Smith gave Chris Rock during the Oscar ceremony, Smith tried to contact the comedian, but Rock said he was “not ready to talk.”
For those who may not remember, Smith hit Rock on stage at the Academy Awards in March, after the comedian made a joke about Jada, Smith’s wife.
On Friday, Smith posted a reflection video on YouTube about the slap- -the first on the subject- – in which he reiterated his apology by answering questions from fans. “Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable”, he said. “I’m here when you’re ready to talk.”
Smith had not spoken about the scene since March, limiting himself to only a few written statements. “I’ve spent the last three months reviewing and understanding the nuances and complexities of what happened in that moment,” the actor said. “There’s no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave at that time.”
Then the revelation: “I reached out to Chris and the message I got was that he is not ready to talk and that when he is he will be heard.”
However, Smith again defended his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, explaining that she had not asked him to do anything after Rock made the joke about her alopecia. “I want to apologize to my children and my family for the upset I brought to all of us”.
Last month Jada said her “deepest hope” is that her husband and Rock can “reconcile” after the incident.
Smith’s apology was also addressed to his fellow Oscar nominees. The Academy banned Smith from its events for the next 10 years after the actor refused to leave the awards ceremony. After the slap, Smith won his first Oscar for his role in “King Richard”, a film about Serena and Venus Williams’ father.
