Actor Will Smith Emerges With an Apology Video to Chris Rock

After several months off the grid, Will Smith decided to break his silence and apologize for his actions during the 2022 Academy Awards.

Will Smith

For those who don’t remember or somehow missed the news, Smith slapped Academy Awards host Chris Rock after the latter made a joke about Jada Pinkett’s bald head.

Will Smith’s Apology

Independence Day and King Richard actor, Will Smith, issued his apology on YouTube by posting a video ironically titled It’s Been a Minute.

The video starts with a disclaimer and a deep exhale from Smith, who walks in from off-camera looking tired and sleep deprived. He then proceeds to answer a number of questions, which are said to be sourced from fans.

Chris Rock

The first question he answers is why he didn’t apologize to Chris during his Academy Award acceptance speech. He explains that everything was fogged out by that point. He also reveals that he tried to reach out to Chris but the message he got back was that Chris wasn’t ready to talk about the incident.

Smith continued by admitting that what he did was wrong and apologized for stealing the spotlight from all the other actors, filmmakers, and screenwriters, who got awarded for their hard work during the event.

Jada Didn’t Ask Him to Confront Chris Rock

He also explained the moment preceding the slap. When Chris made his joke about Jada, the actress simply rolled her eyes. She never asked her husband to do anything at that moment. Smith says his choice to confront Rock was entirely based on his own experience and the history he had with Chris.

Jada Pinkett Smith

Will Smith shared in the video that disappointing people, especially the ones who admired him, is his central trauma. He continues by saying that he’s deeply remorseful but that he’s not judging himself too harshly as he’s human and he made a mistake.

Only time will tell whether Chris will ever accept Smith’s apology. But at least, Will made the first step toward reconciliation.