Actor Will Smith issued an apology video for smacking comedian Chris Rock at the 94th Oscar Awards held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California, last March 27.
"My behavior was unacceptable, and I'm here whenever you're ready to talk," said Smith in a six-minute video posted on YouTube and Instagram on July 29.
Smith began: "It's been a minute... Over the last few months, I've been doing a lot of thinking and personal work...You asked a lot of fair questions that I wanted to take some time to answer."
In the video, he answered questions flashed on the screen about his behavior at the Oscars ceremony, where he won Best Actor for the film "King Richard."
"Why didn't you apologize to Chris in your acceptance speech?"
Smith said: "I was fogged out by that point. It's all fuzzy. I've reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he's not ready to talk, and when he is, he will reach out. So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I'm here whenever you're ready to talk. I want to apologize to Chris' mother. I saw an interview that Chris' mother did, and that was one of the things about that moment. I just didn't realize—I wasn't thinking about how many people got hurt in that moment.
"So I want to apologize to Chris' mother, I want to apologize to Chris' family, specifically Tony Rock. We had a great relationship. Tony Rock was my man and this is probably irreparable.
"I spent the last three months replaying and understanding the nuances and the complexities of what happened in that moment.
"I'm not going to try to unpack all of that right now, but I can say to all of you there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment. There's no part of me that thinks that's the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults."
The second question: "After Jada rolled her eyes did she tell you to do something?"
Smith answered: "No. I made a choice on my own from my own experiences, from my history with Chris. Jada had nothing to do with it. I'm sorry, babe. I want to say sorry to my kids and my family for the heat that I brought on all of us."
The third question: "What would you say to the people who looked up to you before the slap or the people who expressed that you let them down?"
Smith responded: "So there's two things. One, disappointing people is my central trauma. I hate when I let people down. So it hurts me psychologically and emotionally to know I didn't live up to people's image and impression of me.
"The work I'm trying to do is I am deeply remorseful. And I'm trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself. I'm human and I made a mistake. I'm trying not to think of myself as a piece of s***."
"So I would say to those people, I know it was confusing, I know it was shocking, but I promise you I am deeply devoted and committed to putting light and love and joy into the world, and if you hang on I promise we'll be able to be friends again."
On April 9, AFP reported that Smith was banned from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years after he stormed on stage mid-ceremony to slap the comedian Chris Rock.
Smith is also not permitted to attend any other events held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences over the next decade.
The Board’s decision stopped short of revoking the best actor award Smith won last month for “King Richard,” or barring him from future Oscar nominations or wins, the AFP also reported.
READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2022/04/09/will-smith-banned-from-oscars-ceremonies-for-10-years/