Oscars 2022: Will Smith Apologises To Chris Rock; Says, 'Joke Was Too Much For Me To Bear'

Actor Will Smith took to Instagram, on Tuesday (March 29) to apologise for his unexpected display of violence at the recently held Oscars ceremony. The actor apologised to actor-comedian Chris Rock for slapping him after he made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith's hair.

The award ceremony was in its final leg when Rock spoke about how Pinkett Smith seemed to be ready to star in ‘G.I. Jane 2’ -- a sequel to a film about a female soldier with a shaved head. The role was played by actress Demi Moore in that film.

Apologising in a post on Instagram, Will Smith wrote, “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. 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. I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us. I am a work in progress. Sincerely, Will (sic)."

For the uninitiated, Jade Pinkett Smith suffers from the medical condition alopecia, which causes hair loss. She was sporting a closely cropped hair-do at the ceremony. 

Will Smith first appeared to be taking the joke well, but as he walked to the stage, he smacked Chris Rock. After this, he went back to his seat and said out loud, “Keep my wife's name out of your f*****g mouth." After this, while accepting his Oscar, he even apologised to the producers of the awards as well as the audience. However, he didn’t apologise to Rock, at the time. “Love will make you do crazy things," he had said.

The body that oversees the Academy Awards put out a statement as well. “We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law," the statement said.