It’s been a few months since we’ve heard from Will Smith after he slapped Chris Rock on the Oscars stage. And while he hasn’t necessarily been seen publicly, he’s issued a handful of statements addressing the issue. However, he came forth with a new apology video this morning on YouTube where he extended a heartfelt apology to Chris Rock and his family for the infamous slap. In his video, he explained why he didn’t offer an apology to Rock during his acceptance speech.
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
“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 Chris Rock’s mother, who recently opened up about her feelings about the slap, as well as Tony Rock, who has been incredibly vocal about the incident. Will Smith explained that he had a tight relationship with Tony which he now described as “irreparable.”
“There is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment,” he continued. “There’s no part of me that thinks that’s the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults.”
Check out the full video below.