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Less than 24 hours after his shocking behavior at the 94th Oscars, Will Smith has offered a public apology to Chris Rock, as well as to the members of the Academy, the producers, the attendees and everyone who watched around the world. The regretful actor also apologized to Serena and Venus Williams family, as well as the crew that worked on King Richard, the film based on the life of the father of the famous tennis players, which earned him the Oscar for Best Actor. His apology comes after reports confirmed the comedian would not be pressing charges against Will for the slap heard around the world.
Will posted his official statement on Instagram condeming the violence: “Violence in all its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior last night at the 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,” he wrote.
How the Academy responded
Will’s apology comes after The Academy revealed they would be launching an investigation into the incident. The Academy said Monday in a statement, “The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show. 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,” per TMZ.
Last night after the show, before the formal investigation was announced, they wrote on Twitter, “The Academy does not condone violence in any form. Tonight we are delighted to celebrate the winners of the 94th Academy Awards, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and film lovers around the world.“