“I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself,” he said.
In his most robust public statement yet since the shocking moment when he slapped Chris Rock on the Oscars stage, Will Smith said he’s “deeply remorseful” for his actions — but also understands that “‘I’m sorry’ isn’t sufficient.”
In a nearly 6-minute video posted to his Instagram account, Smith answered several questions about the infamous incident and how he’s been dealing with the fallout since.
Smith says he’s reached out to Rock to discuss what happened, and “the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk.” In the meantime, Smith issued a public apology and said he’s been told Rock will reach out to him on his own time.
“I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you,” Smith said. “My behavior was unacceptable. And I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
Smith, who took home the Best Actor award for his performance in King Richard just minutes after assaulting the comedian on stage, also apologized to Rock’s mother and to all the other nominees that night whose accolades were overshadowed by the moment everyone couldn’t stop talking about.
As you’ll recall, the slap came after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, comparing her look to Demi Moore’s in the film G.I. Jane. She took offense to the remark because of her history with alopecia, and viewers could see her rolling her eyes at Rock on camera. In Smith’s new video, he addresses the question of whether she made a comment to him that prompted his attack on Rock.
“No,” Smith said. “I made a choice on my own, from my own experiences, from my history with Chris. Jada had nothing to do with it. I’m sorry, babe. I want to say sorry to my kids and my family for the heat that I brought on.”
The video ends with Smith speaking to anyone who felt let down by his actions. He says that disappointing people is his “central trauma,” and he’s committed to making things right in time.
“I am deeply remorseful, and I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself,” Smith said. “I’m human and I made a mistake. And I’m trying not to think of myself as a piece of shit. So I would say to those people, I know it was confusing. I know it was shocking. But I promise you, I am deeply devoted and committed to putting light and love and joy into the world. And if you hang on, I promise we’ll be able to be friends again.”
As a result of Smith’s behavior, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences officially banned him from the Oscars for 10 years and apologized for failing to “adequately address the situation in the room” immediately after it happened.
