Will Smith has issued a formal apology to Chris Rock for slapping him across the face at the Oscars.
The actor, 53, took to Instagram on Monday to apologise for the violent outburst against the comedian at Sunday evening's 94th Academy Awards.
The infamous slap happened when Chris made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head, which is cut short as she suffers from alopecia, and Will then walked onto the stage and struck him across the face.
Will - who went on to win Best Actor later in the evening - then returned to his seat and yelled: "Keep my wife's name out of your f****** mouth."
Will has now said he is 'embarrassed' by his actions which he said were 'out of line' after he 'reacted emotionally' to the joke.
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In his apology, he also took the opportunity to condemn violence and extended the apologise to the wider group of people affected by the incident including the Oscars Academy.
"Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. 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.
"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.
"I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us."
He signed off with the words: "I am a work in progress. Sincerely, Will"
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This comes after the Oscars organisers said they were launching a formal review into the slap.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has issued another statement following the incident which happened in front of a live audience full of A-listers.
The statement read: "The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night's show. We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law."
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed Chris declined to file a police report against the actor.
A spokesperson for the force says it is "aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards programme...[which] involved one individual slapping another".
"The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report."
