Will Smith breaks his silence on the Academy Award altercation and much more. Image Source: EW
Will Smith breaks his silence on the Academy Award altercation and much more.
Actor Will Smith, who has been off social media since March, took to his social media on Friday and shared a video addressing a lot of things, starting with the infamous altercation between him and Chris Rock at the Academy Awards 2022 and saying that he is remorseful.
Will Smith once again apologized to Chris Rock and his family, along with his own family and friends. Will also revealed that he did reach out to Chris Rock to have a conversation, but said that the message he received was that Chris Rock was not ready to have a conversation at the moment and would reach out when he was ready. Will said that that night, it’s all fuzzy, and added that he would like to say to Chris that his behavior was unacceptable and he’s here whenever he's ready to talk. The actor also mentioned that he would like to apologize to Chris Rock's mother especially.
Will Smith also clarified that his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, did not ask him to walk up on stage and slap Chris Rock, as some people suggested that she did, and the actor also went ahead and apologized to his wife and his family for the attention and the heat he brought upon them with his actions.
The actor who won the award for Best Actor for King Richard at the Academy Awards 2022 said that he made a choice on his own, from his own experience, from his history with Chris Rock and Jada Pinkett Smith, and that had nothing to do with it. Will further shares in his video that he hates it when he lets people down and it hurts him. It hurts him psychologically and emotionally to know that he did not live up to people’s image and impression of him.
The King Richard actor further mentioned that he is trying to do the work on himself and feels remorseful and is trying to be remorseful without feeling ashamed of himself, as he said that he is a human being and he made a mistake. Will Smith said that he is trying not to think of himself as a piece of shit and added that he understands that it was confusing and shocking, but he assured everyone that he is deeply devoted and committed to putting light and love and joy in the world. He added that if people hung out, he promised that they would be able to be friends again.
Jada Pinkett Smith, who struggles with alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that leads to bald spots and hair loss, also spoke about the incident on her talk show, where she said that she just hopes that both Will Smith and Chris Rock will be in a place where they can have a conversation about what has happened and move on. Chris Rock had appeared on stage at the Academy Awards 2022 to present an award where he cracked a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s and soon Will Smith walked up on stage and slapped him.
In his video, Will Smith said that he has spent the past three months replaying and understanding the nuances and complexities of what had happened at the moment and added that he is not going to unpack all of that right now, but would like to say that no part of him thinks that what he did was the right way to behave. The actor said that no part of him thinks that the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insult is what he did. Will Smith once again apologized to the Academy and said that he feels terrible and it breaks his heart to have stolen and tarnished their moment and added that he still finds it difficult to see Questlove eye to eye and concluded that it happened when Questlove was given the award and mentioned that no matter how much he apologizes, it’s never going to be enough.
Will Smith had previously shared a statement on his social media mentioning that he is apologetic for his behavior and there is no place for violence in the world of love and care. The actor apologized to Chris Rock while stating that he reacted emotionally after listening to a joke about his wife's health. Will Smith resigned from the Academy and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also announced that they will be banning Will Smith from attending the Academy Awards for the next ten years.
