Will Smith has tendered a public apology to Chris Rock after he smacked the presenter of the OSCAR awards.
Smith in a statement issued on Monday night noted that his action was out of line and wrong.
He said:
“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.”
Will Smith added that: “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 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.”
However, Smith’s apology does not mean this battle is over. Rock will eventually have to comment publicly too.
The signs so far suggest he intends to shrug the episode off with good humour but he could still file a police report.
So far, the comedian declined to file a police report or issue a statement.
Sources said the comedian only joked about the punch backstage: “That’s the only time you get hit by Muhammad Ali and it doesn’t leave a scratch,” referring to Smith’s role in the boxer’s biopic.
