Will Smith Resurfaces With Apology Video To Chris Rock
Smith finally gets candid on that infamous Oscars slap.
Will Smith has finally stepped out of hiding since the infamous Oscars slap heard around the world. In case you do not remember, on March 27 of this year, the 94th annual Academy Awards took place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles where Will Smith got onstage and slapped Chris Rock after a joke was made regarding Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head. Pinkett Smith has been open with her struggles with alopecia through her Facebook Watch show Red Table Talk.
After the slap, the King Richard actor issued a written statement via his Instagram account where he apologized to Chris Rock, whom he did not mention in his Oscar acceptance speech that same night, as well as apologizing to The Academy, his fellow nominees, and the producers of the televised event. On April 8, 2022, it was announced by the Academy that Will Smith will be banned from attending the Oscars or any Academy-related events for the next 10 years. Also, several of Smith’s upcoming projects have been put on hold or canceled since the slap.
Smith has been completely silent since these events have transpired, and has only been seen in public very few times, including his visit to India in late April for “spiritual purposes.” However, just last week on July 29, Smith posted an almost six minute apology video to his Youtube account and finally addressed the main questions regarding the slap. Questions like why he didn’t address Rock in his acceptance speech, whether or not Jada told him to do what he did, and what he would tell his fans who are disappointed in his actions. Will also stated in the video that despite reaching out to Chris for a chance to talk, the reply he got was that Chris is not ready and will reach out whenever he is.
The video has garnered its fair share of criticism due to Smith’s lack of accountability for his wrongdoings and diverting back to himself when responding to the questions mentioned above. Rock himself subtly addressed the apology video that same night at one of his comedy shows in Atlanta by stating “If everybody claims to be a victim, then nobody will hear the real victims. Even me getting smacked by Suge Smith.” Here, Rock is referencing Marion “Suge” Knight—co-founder of Death Row Records who is currently serving 28 years in prison.
In the last seconds of his apology video, Smith finishes by stating “I am deeply devoted and committed to putting light and love and joy into the world, and if you hang on, I promise we’ll be able to be friends again.”
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