The 94th Academy Awards held this year had several memorable moments but one unfortunate incident remained the highlight of the ceremony. No points for guessing, we are talking about the Chris Rock-Will Smith slapgate. Months after the incident, Smith opened up about the controversy and apologized to Rock. Through a video posted on YouTube and on his social media handles, Smith addressed why he did not apologize to Rock when he accepted the Best Actor prize for his work in ‘King Richard’ shortly after he charged the stage and slapped the comic for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s short haircut.
“It’s all fuzzy,” Smith said. “I’ve reached out to Chris and the message that came back is he’s not ready to talk, and when he is, he will reach out.”
Smith once again reiterated that he was sorry for his actions, calling his behaviour “unacceptable”. The actor has said he had responded violently because Rock’s joke referenced the hair loss that Pinkett Smith suffers because of her medical condition known as alopecia.
“There is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment,” an emotional Smith adds. “There’s no part of me that thinks that’s the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults.”
Smith also addressed questions about whether or not Pinkett Smith, who was seen on camera rolling her eyes at Rock’s joke comparing her buzzcut to the one Demi Moore sports in the 1997 film ‘G.I. Jane’, had urged him to charge onto the stage. The actor said his wife had said nothing to spur him to assault Rock.
After the incident, Will Smith publicly apologised to Rock, saying his behaviour was “unacceptable”. Will took to Instagram to pen a lengthy note in which he also apologised to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His post read, “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable.”
(With IANS inputs)
