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The Oscars 2022 were wrapped in controversy after Will Smith stepped on stage and slapped Chris Rock. While Smith, who won Best Actor at the awards, did not directly apologize to Rock during his acceptance speech, he has since issued a statement online saying sorry to the comedian.
"I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris," reads a statement posted to Smith's social media account. "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."
In the post, Smith calls violence, in all of its forms, "poisonous and destructive", and describes his behavior at the Oscars are "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," he wrote.
Rock had made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, comparing her hair to G.I. Jane, a fictional character with a shaved head. Jada had previously revealed she had been diagnosed with alopecia, which leads to hair loss. Will jumped on stage and hit Rock with an open hand. He then returned to his seat and shouted: "Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth."
Smith's statement finished by apologizing to the Academy, the show's producers, everyone in attendance, and everyone who watched, as well as the Williams family and King Richard family – Smith won the Oscar for playing Richard Williams in the biopic, King Richard.
"I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us," Smith continued. "I am a work in progress." See the Instagram post below.
Smith and Rock's altercation quickly became the night's biggest talking point, though the initial reaction was of stunned silence – it was unclear what exactly had happened. Some thought it was a scripted moment, yet it soon became clear that nothing about Smith's reaction was planned.
During his acceptance speech for Best Actor, Smith alluded to the incident without saying anything too direct or mentioning Rock. "Denzel [Washington] said to me a few minutes ago, at your highest moment, be careful, that's when the devil comes for you," he told the audience. "I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to all to my fellow nominees."
The Los Angeles Police Department released an official statement after the Oscars, saying that Rock will not be pressing charges. "LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program," the statement reads.
"The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report."
The Academy responded by posting its own statement. "The Academy does not condone violence of any form," its official social media account posted. "Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world."
For more from the Oscars, check out our Oscars 2022 winners list and our roundup of the five biggest talking points from the night.
