Will Smith expresses heartfelt regret to Chris Rock

• Will Smith has apologized to Chris Rock for hitting him at the Oscars.
• He says he was “fogged out” and didn’t realize how many people were hurt.
• The actor also expressed his desire to apologize to Rock’s family.

In an emotional video that he shared on his various social media platforms, Will Smith expressed his contrition over the smack he received at the Oscars.

Will, who is now 53 years old, mounted the stage at the Oscars on February 24 and hit Chris Rock, who is 57 years old, across the face. Will has now uploaded a video on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook on Friday, in which he apologizes to Rock once more and tells him, “I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”

“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,” Will said. “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.”

Will explained in his Oscars acceptance speech for Best Actor why he didn’t apologize to Rock. Will said, “I was fogged out by that point. It’s all fuzzy.”

The King Richard actor continued by expressing his desire to apologize to Rock’s mother, “I saw an interview that his mother did. That’s one of the things about that moment I didn’t realize, I wasn’t thinking, but how many people got hurt in that moment.”

“So I want to apologize to Chris’s mother; I want to apologize to Chris’s family, specifically Tony Rock [Chris’s younger brother]. We had a great relationship. Tony Rock was my man. This is probably irreparable,” Will said.

After Rock made a joke about Jada’s shaved head during the March ceremony, Will smacked him onstage, earning him a 10-year suspension from ceremonies and associated events from the Academy.

Also Read

Will Smith ‘in a better place’ months after slapping Chris Rock

Kevin Hart says Will Smith is "apologetic" for slapping Chris Rock at...