Four months after he slapped Chris Rock at the 94th annual Academy Awards, Will Smith is attempting to make amends. On Friday (July 29th), the King Richard actor released a video apology to Rock.
“I reached out to Chris, and the message that came back is he’s not ready to talk, but when he is, he will reach out. 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 said in the YouTube video.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor shared that he was “fogged out” following the infamous slap—and this is why he didn’t apologize to Rock during his acceptance speech for Best Actor.
“Disappointing people is my central trauma. I hate when I let people down, so it hurts psychologically and emotionally to know that I didn’t live up to people’s image and impression of me. The work I’m trying to do is I am deeply remorseful, and I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself,” Smith said.
He added that he’s “trying not think of [himself] as a piece of s–t.”
Hours after Will Smith released his video apology, Chris Rock made a joke comparing Smith to the former Death Row Records executive Suge Knight, who is currently incarcerated.
At Atlanta’s Fox Theater on Friday night (July 29th), Rock said, “Everybody is trying to be a f—ing victim. If everybody claims to be a victim, then nobody will hear the real victims.”
Rock continued, “Even me getting smacked by Suge Smith … I went to work the next day, I got kids.”
