Will Smith at the 2022 Academy Awards Photo: Neilson Barnard (Getty Images)
Almost exactly four months after the slap heard around the world, Will Smith is back with another apology for his actions at the 2022 Academy Awards. To recap (although surely even moles have had enough of the slap talk ), host Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, and Smith stormed the stage and slapped the comedian, shortly before he won his first Oscar for Best Actor for King Richard.
In a new video posted on his Instagram page, Smith wrote that he was “doing a lot of thinking and personal work” after the shocking incident and “wanted to take a moment to answer” fans’ questions about the night. It didn’t exactly take to the Red Table, but the Q&A format might be the next best thing. Speaking about why he didn’t apologize to The Rock in his acceptance speech, he admits, “I was in a daze from that moment. Everything is a blur.”
“I contacted Chris and the message I got back is that he’s not ready to talk and when he is, he’ll be in touch,” says Smith. “So I’ll tell you, Chris, I apologize. My behavior was unacceptable and I am here when you are ready to speak. He also apologized to Rock’s family members who expressed their anger in the press, including his mother and brother (“Tony Rock was my man, and that’s probably irreparable.”)
Others receiving apologies in the clip include Questlove, the recipient of the award that was presented (“Sorry, not enough”) and his community of other nominees (“[It] it really breaks my heart that I stole and tarnished your moment”). He also apologizes to his own family “for the heat I brought on all of us.”
Specifically, he expresses remorse to his wife, clarifying that Pinkett Smith did nothing or said anything to cause his violent outburst. “I made the choice myself, from my own experience, from my history with Chris. Jada has nothing to do with it,” he emphasizes.
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“Disappointing people is my main trauma. I hate it when I let people down. So it hurts me, it hurts me psychologically and emotionally to know that I don’t live up to people’s image and impression of me,” Smith continues. “And the work that I’m trying to do is I’m deeply remorseful and I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself. right I’m human And I made a mistake and I try not to think of myself as shit.”
To anyone who felt let down by his actions, “I would say to those people, I know it was confusing, I know it was shocking,” he says. “But I promise you that I am deeply committed and committed to putting light, love and joy into the world. And you know, if you stick it out, I promise we can be friends again.
“I’ve spent the last three months replaying and understanding the nuances and complexities of what happened in that moment,” Smith reflects. “And I’m not going to try to unpack all of that right now. But I can tell you all that there is no part of me that thinks this is the right way to behave at this point. There is no part of me that thinks this is the optimal way to deal with feeling disrespected or offended.
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