Will Smith apologizes to Chris Rock and his mother for Oscars slap in emotional video

In a direct appeal to the comedian, the Oscar-winning actor said: “My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”

FILE - Will Smith, right, hits presenter Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars in Los Angeles on March 27, 2022, after Rock made a joke about his wife. Pinkett Smith turned her husbands Oscar-night blowup into a teachable moment on Red Table Talk, her Facebook Watch show on June 1. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File) (Chris Pizzello)

In a video posted online Friday, Oscar-winning actor Will Smith — making his most extensive public comments since he slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards in March — apologized directly to the comedian and said he was “deeply remorseful” over his behavior.

In a nearly six-minute video uploaded to Instagram and YouTube, Smith said he did not originally apologize to Rock in his Oscars acceptance speech because he was “fogged out.” But he said he has “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.”

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“I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk,” Smith said.

Read more on NBC News here.


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