Will Smith Finally Delivers His Apology to Chris Rock for Oscars Slap
Will Smith finally broke his silence. Months after he slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards and became the night’s biggest loser — despite winning his first statuette — Smith finally delivered his apology to Rock for the Oscars slap. Here’s what he said.
Will Smith slapping Chris Rock shook the 2022 Academy Awards
What seemed like a light-hearted joke quickly led to the most shocking moment in Oscars history.
Rock joked that Jada Pinkett-Smith — who lives with alopecia — was looking good for her starring role in G.I. Jane 2. Will Smith laughed initially, but the good humor didn’t last. Seconds later, he strode on stage and slapped Rock, whose non-verbal learning disorder might have been why he didn’t try to avoid the blow.
Smith won the Oscar for best actor moments later, and he celebrated into the night. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs claimed Rock and Smith settled their feud after the ceremony, but Smith’s apology to Rock months later indicates otherwise. Here’s what Smith said in his apology to Rock.
Will Smith gives Chris Rock his apology for the Oscars slap
Smith didn’t say sorry to Rock right after their Academy Awards incident. He didn’t say anything later in the night, and Smith stayed mostly silent for months even as the Academy made him one of the few people to be banned from its events. Aside from an Instagram post in March, Smith avoided apologizing to Rock or addressing the Oscars slap in any way.
Smith finally said the words that eluded him in the July 29, 2022, video posted to his YouTube channel:
“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. … That was one of the things about that moment, I just didn’t realize, and, you know, I wasn’t thinking, but how many people got hurt in that moment. So, I want to apologize to Chris’ mother.”
Will Smith’s apology to Chris Rock
Smith revealed early in his video that he reached out to Rock to apologize directly but that Rock wasn’t ready to discuss their incident.
The King Richard actor also apologized to Rock’s brother and admitted his Oscars slap most likely irreparably damaged their once-strong relationship.
Smith tries to make amends by apologizing to Rock’s entire family,
Smith’s apology video didn’t stop with Rock and his mother. The Men in Black star included Rock’s family and brother, Tony, with whom he claimed to have a once-strong relationship.
“I want to apologize to Chris’ family, specifically Tony Rock,” Smith said. “You know, we had a great relationship. You know, Tony Rock was my man, and this is probably irreparable.”
Smith indicated the Oscars slap weighed heavily on him. He said he replayed the incident in his head for “the last three months,” trying to understand “the nuances and complexities of what happened.”
The Bad Boys star wrapped up the apology to Rock portion of his nearly six-minute video by saying, “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.”
For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe toShowbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.
This breaking news story is being updated.
