Will Smith apologises to Chris Rock for ‘unacceptable’ Oscars night slap

Los Angeles: A contrite Will Smith has opened up about the controversy surrounding his assault of Chris Rock at this year’s Academy Awards, offering his most unvarnished thoughts about an altercation that has marred his public image, despite being named Best Actor, reports ‘Variety’.

In an emotional YouTube post, according to ‘Variety’, Smith addressed why he did not apologise 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. It’s a struggle that Pinkett Smith has publicly addressed in the past, notes ‘Variety’.

“There is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment,” Smith, who sighs deeply at some parts and seems to be fighting back tears, says in the video. “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.