Will Smith breaks silence: “It’s been a minute?”
Will Smith Addresses Chris Rock Oscars Slap in Nearly 6-Minute Video
Four months after Will Smith, 53, took the stage at the Oscars and smacked Rock, 57, across the face, he shared a video to YouTube, Instagram and Facebook on Friday, in which he apologizes to Rock again and tells him, "I'm here whenever you're ready to talk."
The King Richard Oscar-winner answering what he says are “a lot of fair questions” he has faced since slapping Chris Rock during the Academy Awards broadcast.
First up, Smith, 53, explained why he didn’t mention Rock, 57, specifically in his Best Actor acceptance speech.
“Um, I was fogged out by that point,” he said. “It’s all fuzzy. I’ve reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk and when he is, he will reach out. So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
Smith also apologized to Rock’s mom and family (including Tony Rock), saying he didn’t realize “how many people got hurt” by the moment.
“This is probably irreparable,” he said of Tony, specifically. As previously reported, Tony has been vocal about the slap in the ensuing months, including during a recent stand-up set.
"So I want to apologize to Chris's mother; I want to apologize to Chris's family, specifically Tony Rock [Chris's younger brother]. We had a great relationship. Tony Rock was my man. This is probably irreparable," Will said.
The actor has opted to use social media to directly address his fans. In the wake of the slap, Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group behind the Oscars and offered up statements of contrition but has otherwise maintained a low profile.
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