While debate is bound to linger across the internet as to whether actor Will Smith was justified for slapping comedian Chris Rock, Smith chose his side on the matter Monday in a public statement on social media as video of a prior incident began to recirculate.
The Best Actor winner for his portrayal of Richard Williams in the film “King Richard,” about the life of the coach and father to Venus and Serena Williams, had responded poorly to a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
Rock referenced her shaved head and suggested her next role would be in a “G.I. Jane” film while presenting at the 94th Academy Awards.
As reported, Smith then marched up to Rock and slapped the comedian across the face before returning to his seat and verbally chastising the victim until it was agreed there would be no further comment on Pinkett Smith.
Though he had apologized to the event in his acceptance speech, Smith had said nothing to Rock until Monday night.
View this post on Instagram
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense,” Smith acknowledged, “are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.”
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong,” Smith declared of the fault in his behavior. “I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
Smith then reiterated his apologies to the Academy, the viewers, the Williams Family and all those who participated in the making of the film over his deep regret that his “behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.”
“I am a work in progress,” Smith concluded sincerely.
A spokesperson for the film academy told Variety on Monday, “The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show. We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”
A decade-old incident from a promotional tour of the film “Men in Black 3” has some wondering what kind of actual progress the actor has made. While walking the red carpet in Moscow, Russia in 2012, Smith had an interaction with a Ukrainian prankster named Vitalii Sediuk.
Sediuk, who Newsweek reported has had multiple arrests for incidents harassing other celebrities including Brad Pitt and America Ferrera, embraced Smith before beginning to forcibly kiss him.
y’all remember will smith slapped a reporter? pic.twitter.com/uVkCgIrzXr
— speedy (@SpeedyMorman) March 28, 2022
https://twitter.com/betterlucklater/status/1508304914019061761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1508304914019061761%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsweek.com%2Fwill-smith-slaps-prankster-resurfaced-footage-1692384
“What the hell is your problem, man?” Smith asked as he pushed Sediuk away and gave him a light backhand slap on the cheek. The actor then continued down the line of journalists and stated, “He tried to kiss me on my mouth. The joker, he lucky I didn’t sucker punch him.”
“Oh sorry,” Smith added. “I said that on camera.”
Recalling the altercation with the prankster in a 2018 interview, Smith explained how rapper Jay-Z had spoken to him about it and found it so entertaining the music mogul wanted to watch it on a loop.
“We talked about it after,” the actor stated in the interview, “and he was like ‘it was such a breath of fresh air to see you just be authentic.'”
“It was my natural reaction, but I thought that it would be negative and everything but in this new social media world,” Smith continued as he laughed through the reminiscence, “actually the authenticity was accepted and respected, and that was a new thing for me.”
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
- Rogan fired up that liberal policies are allowing monsters to eat our house pets - December 17, 2025
- Customer bullies Target employee over Charlie Kirk shirt, but it doesn’t go quite as planned - December 17, 2025
- Merrick Garland lied about Mar-a-Lago raid recently declassified emails show - December 17, 2025
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!
22 thoughts on “Will Smith finally apologizes to Chris Rock as academy punishments loom; not his first viral slap”
Comments are closed.
I, like others, think that this was staged to get people to watch. There is video of Will Smith laughing when the joke is told. If I was po’d about someone making a joke that upset my wife, it wouldn’t have been a slap. I would have jaw jacked him; right cross to the left side of his face. A slap? Really? I’m going with “Oscars too Woke” for $600 Alex!
Do not think that he was sincere in his apology. Right after he did not apologize to Chris Rock but to the Academy- he only apologized to Chris Rock after the fact. I think he did that because he knew it was going to hurt his career – he did this very thing back in the 90’s. He is repulsive!
The only apology we need is for them to admit that this was nothing more than a publicity stunt to help the ratings of a sinking ship called SS Oscars.
Looking at Smith’s face after the slap, while he was walking away, He sure didn’t look mad to me. It was all a setup. A cheap attempt to get viewers for an out-of-date, boring, mutual admiration show.
So he and Jada once boycotted the Oscars because it was too white. Well guess what people, America is 60 percent white, 13 percent black, so, deal with it. That said, their racist colors are showing. And she needs to put on a wig if she’s so upset. I call BS.
The new census said now the black population is at 12%, must be all the abortions and shootings.
I call BS. If Jada Smith is so embarrassed by her medical condition, why doesn’t she do what every other black woman in entertainment does and wear a wig? Because she likes the attention, and she knows she’s beautiful bald.
I don’t believe that Will Smith actually touched Chris Rock. It was staged like they do in the movies. That slap moved Chris’s whole body. It appeared as though he started to move before the slap. No way. It should have just moved his head. And Chris didn’t lose his composure for one second. His cheek should have been swollen.
You nailed it. and look at smiths smirk as he walks back after the slap.
And he is still smiling until he has to shout out profanities from his seat.
Next time, get real stunt men who make it look real.
PS: Rock didn’t even touch his face after the slap. That would be a 100% natural reaction to check for bleeding and just subsiding the pain of the slap with a face rub.
Didn’t even know it was on, haven’t watched Oscar since it was hosted by Johnny Carson.
With all the bad stuff happening in this country and the world, and this dominated the news cycle?
I’m like you. I haven’t watched any of those backslapping shows in 30 years.
Smith must thought he was on Jerry Springer or Geraldo show. LOL
Blood, arrogance and ignorance will out. Always. He’s trash and so is his whole family.
The more I wa tch the clip the more I feel the whole thing was staged. Rock should have been staggerd from such a “severe” slap and look at the smirk on Smith’s face as he walked off the stage. Has anyone seen Rock since the slap? Any brusing?
One thing for sure, without this “event” the overwhelming majority of Americans would never have known the Oscars took place on Sunday
Thank god for metal detectors or else the Oscar’s would be like Saturday night in Chicago.☻👈🤣😂
Yeah your natural reaction is to slap. Most Men use a closed fist. will smith is No Man, If he was then he’d be going after ALL The Men Banging his wife. The Only Reason he got up was because she gave him The Stink eye. will was laughing as was Everyone in attendance, Until That pinkett Stink Eye…
Tyrus on the Gutfeld show said, this was not about Rock’s joke, it was more about their marital relationship.
Acting again or *authentic*? Seems Willie has a problem keeping his hands off other people. And to hear Jay-z say he watched it on a loop…lol….more lies, that man watches nothing but himself…..
Seriously, I used to like Will S., but in recent years he’s become somewhat of a joke. Sunday night’s example of his *call by God* to be a loving (?) protector was just a publicity stunt. (Just calling it how I saw it, as most who are about to get hit/slapped, usually put up a defense of some sort like raising a hand/arm to deflect. Rock did nothing.)
Hopefully we can all move away from this mini-manufactored crisis designed to take attention away from Resident Burden and his horrible run as a leader….hey, I have an idea…maybe someone should run up and slap him, just slap some sense back into him, if that’s even possible anymore which I highly doubt.
A slap won’t do it. A head banging several times on concrete might be effective. Drag schmuck schumer and pelousey into the mix as well.
Will Smith isn’t a nice person. It’s time to stop televising the Oscars. It sets a poor example for young people to observe.
Willie slaps like a girl.
Will Smith and s sorry now?
Sure he is!!!
The slap was the only part of Oscar’s worth watching.
Anything before or after the slap.
I had no interest in.
It hasn’t been interesting in along time.
It’ll be a piece of schit next year too.
It’ll not be me missed nor remembered!!