Will Smith has uploaded a video apologising to Chris Rock, whom he infamously slapped at the Oscars earlier this year. The actor's almost six-minute video expressed his remorse over the shocking move.
Will, 53, slapped Chris, 57, after the host made a joke about his wife and compared her to GI Jane. In the video, Will, speaks directly to the camera and apologises to Chris, his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and his fans.
The King Richard actor, who won an Oscar for his role, opened up about his controversial actions and explained why he didn't say sorry to Chris during his acceptance speech immediately after the event, the Mirror reports.
The YouTube video begins with a caption on screen that reads: "It's been a minute... Over the last few months, I've been doing a lot of thinking and personal work... You asked a lot of fair questions that I wanted to take some time to answer. You asked a lot of fair questions that I wanted to take some time to answer."
As he repeated a question that asked why he didn't apologise to Chris at the prestigious awards ceremony, Will said: "I was fogged out by that point. It's all fuzzy. I've reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he's not ready to talk. When he is, he will reach out."
Addressing the comedian directly, Will looked at the camera and said: "So I will say to you, Chris; I apologise to you, my behaviour was unacceptable and I'm here whenever you're ready to talk."
Will also apologised to Chris' mother and father and explained he "wasn't thinking about how many people got hurt in that moment". He said: "I spent the last three months replaying and understanding the nuances and complexities of what happened in that moment.
"And I'm not going to try and unpack all of that right now but I can say to all of you that there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment. There is no part of me that thinks that’s the optimal way to handle feelings of disrespect or insults."
Will went on to credit Chris' younger brother Tony Rock, who the I Am Legend star said was "my man". However, he shared doubts they would be able to mend their friendship and said it was "irreparable".
Will then revealed his wife Jada Pinkett Smith did not tell him to do anything after fans noticed she rolled her eyes at Chris' joke, which sparked Will to slap the comedian.
The actor explained: "It's like, you know, I made a choice on my own, from my own experiences, from my history with Chris. Jada had nothing to do with it."
He then apologised to his wife, adding: "I'm sorry babe, I want to say sorry to my kids and my family for the heat I brought on all of us."
The actor then went on to apologise to his fellow Oscar nominees as he went on: "It really breaks my heart to have stolen and tarnished your moment. I can still see Questlove's eyes – it happened on Questlove's award – and, you know, it's like 'I'm sorry' really isn't sufficient."
Will then went on to admit that "disappointing people is my central trauma" as he addressed all his fans who looked up to him before the incident.
He went on: "I hate when I let people down. So, it hurts. It hurts me psychologically and emotionally to know I didn't live up to people's image and impression of me. The work I'm trying to do is, I am deeply remorseful and I'm trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself."
"I'm human," Will said. "I made a mistake and I'm trying not to think of myself as a piece of s**t so I would say to those people; I know it was confusing, I know it was shocking, but I promise you I am deeply devoted and committed to putting light and love and joy into the world."
Will ended the emotional video by saying: "If you hang on, I promise we'll be able to be friends again."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here .
