Will Smith Clarifies Jada-Pinkett Smith ‘Had Nothing To Do’ With Chris Rock Slap During Oscars 2022
Several months after the "slap heard around the world," Will Smith finally broke his silence regarding the incident via his YouTube channel and Instagram page. He recorded a new video that ran over five minutes and finally talked about "the slap."
In the video, he apologized to the many he had hurt, including Chris Rock and his family. The "Men in Black" star said that it is all "fuzzy," and added that he had reached out to Chris Rock. However, he replied that he was still not ready to talk about it to Smith. He also said that his behavior is unacceptable and told Rock that he is ready to talk whenever he is, according to The Guardian.
Will Smith Reads Out Questions Regarding the Chris Rock Slap
Smith started the video with a statement, stating that he had been doing a lot of thinking and personal work over the last few months. He then began answering several questions regarding the slap.
The first question was why he did not apologize to Rock during his Oscars speech after he won the Best Actor Award for his role in King Richard. To this, Smith simply said that he was already "fogged out" at that point.
One of the biggest questions was regarding his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. The question asked if Jada told him to do something following the actress's eye-roll after Chris Rock's now-infamous G.I. Jane joke. To this, Smith said no, she did not tell him something. He revealed he made a choice on his own and his own experiences.
"Jada had nothing to do with it," he said.
He then apologized to her and their family for "the heat" that he has brought upon them.
He also apologized to the Oscars community because he won because of their votes but ruined everything because he slapped Chris Rock. He said that it broke his heart because he felt that he had stolen and tarnished their moment. He specifically apologized to the Tonight Show musician Questlove because it was supposed to be his moment, but it was taken away because people talked about "the slap" more than him winning an Oscar.
READ MORE: Did Kevin Hart Really Give Chris Rock a Goat Named Will Smith?
Will Smith Also Apologized to Chris Rock's Family
He then took a moment to apologize to Rock's mother. He said he saw her do an interview and admitted that he did not realize how many people got hurt by his actions.
He then apologized to other members of the Rock family, specifically Tony Rock, who Smith had been friends with before the slapping incident. He said they had a great relationship and described him as "my man," but added their friendship might be irreparable after what Smith did.
He then added he spent the last three months replaying the moment and said that he admits it was "no way to behave at that moment."
Finally, Smith talked about the people disappointed with him due to his actions. He said that his biggest trauma following the incident was that many people were now disappointed in him. He said he is "deeply remorseful," and he is trying to be so without being ashamed of himself. Smith added that he's human and made a mistake, and he said he does not want to think of himself as a "piece of s***."
He ended the video by saying he is committed to putting life, love, and joy into the world.
According to the BBC, Will Smith has been banned from the Oscars for the next 10 years. They described his actions as "unacceptable and harmful behavior."
As for Smith himself, he is seeking to make a career comeback with the new Apple movie, "Emancipation." According to Deadline, Smith plays a slave who tries to escape by going through the Louisiana swamps and joining the Union army.
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Written by: Rick Martin
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