Will Smith has again apologized to Chris Rock for slapping him during the Oscar telecast in a new video, saying that his behavior was 鈥渦nacceptable鈥� and that he had reached out to the comedian to discuss the incident but was told Rock wasn鈥檛 ready.
鈥淭here is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment,鈥� Smith said in the under-six minute video posted online Friday. 鈥淚 am deeply remorseful and I鈥檓 trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself.鈥� To Rock, he said: 鈥淚鈥檓 here whenever you鈥檙e ready to talk.鈥�
Smith, seated in a polo shirt and white ball cap, spoke directly to a camera, answering pre-selected questions about
Smith also apologized to Rock鈥檚 family and especially his mother, Rosalie, who was horrified to see her son hurt and told US Weekly that, 鈥淲hen he slapped Chris, he slapped all of us. He really slapped me.鈥� Smith also apologized to Tony Rock, Chris鈥� younger brother.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize how many people got hurt in that moment,鈥� Smith said.
Smith also apologized to his family 鈥渇or the heat that I brought on all of us鈥� and his fellow Oscar nominees to have 鈥渟tolen and tarnished your moment.鈥� He mentioned Questlove by name; it was the musician-director鈥檚 documentary win for 鈥淪ummer of Soul (鈥r, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)鈥� that was interrupted by the slap. Rock was on stage to present the documentary award.
鈥淛ada had nothing to do with it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 made a choice on my own.鈥� Pinkett Smith has said that she has alopecia areata, a hair-loss disorder.
Following the altercation, Smith apologized to Rock in a statement after the Oscars, saying he was 鈥渙ut of line and I was wrong.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 sorry really isn鈥檛 sufficient,鈥� Smith said in the video, adding that he is hurting because he hasn鈥檛 lived up to fans鈥� impressions. 鈥淒isappointing people is my central trauma.鈥�
Many had speculated that Smith would appear on camera to discuss the slap first on Pinkett Smith鈥檚 online series 鈥淩ed Table Talk,鈥� but he chose to do it in a social media video post without any follow-up questions or surprise queries.
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
Like us on and follow us on .
