Will Smith Apologizes To The Academy For Slapping Chris Rock

The Oscars have officially gone violent. Will Smith smacked Chris Rock over a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. After winning best actor, he realized his mistake and apologized. Smith is hoping the Academy would invite him back

At the ceremony being broadcast from Los Angeles’s Dolby Theatre, Smith yelled at the comedian, telling him to “keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth” after smacking the comedian in the face. This was after because Chris Rock made a joke about Will Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith. While presenting the award for Best Documentary, Rock quipped: “Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see you,”

Forty minutes after the incident, Smith returned to the stage to accept the Oscar for best actor. In his acceptance speech, he apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees for the incident. However, he did not mention Rock by name.

Smith seemed very emotional accepting the award for his role as Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams, in the film “King Richard.” Smith said Williams “was a fierce defender of his family.” He also made some observations about showbusiness, “I know to do what we do, you gotta be able to take abuse and have people talk people about you. In this business, you gotta have people disrespecting you. And you gotta smile and pretend that’s ok.”

Will Smith hinted that his actions were his way of protecting his family. He talked about being a “protector” and thanked the tennis legends and their family. The King Richards star shared that fellow nominee Denzel Washington shared some wisdom with him before the win: “At your highest moment be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you.” The Oscar winning actor concluded his speech by saying that he hopes the Academy welcomes him back.

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