Will Smith Apologizes For His Behavior At The Academy Awards And Admits The GI Jane Joke "Was Too Much To Bear"
Will Smith lost his cool last night at the Academy Awards, and that's putting it mildly. When comedian Chris Rock took a dig at Jada Pinkett Smith, Will reacted explosively and ran straight onto the stage to slap Chris square in the face.
The slap heard around the world was front-page news for nearly 24 hours, and we still hadn't heard any kind of response from any of the celebrities involved in the drama. Finally, Will Smith broke the silence on Monday evening with a post on his Instagram.
Will Smith Apologizes to Chris Rock and Admits He "Reacted Emotionally"
Will expressed his regret about the way he conducted himself at the Oscars. "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive," he kicked off in his letter. "My behavior at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable."
Chris made a joke about Jada's haircut, saying that he was looking forward to her portrayal of GI Jane. Originally, Will laughed, but next thing you knew, he was leaping from his chair and walking across the stage to smack Chris right in the face. Some people have speculated that the whole thing was an act, but there were certainly many parts of the whole scenario that made it extremely believable.
"Jokes at my expense 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," Will wrote. "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. 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."
Will also extended an apology to the Academy, the producers, and attendees of the show, as well as the audiences around the world.
"I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us," he wrote. "I am a work in progress."