Will Smith apologized Monday evening to comedian Chris Rock for slapping him at Sunday night’s Academy Awards show.
Mr. Smith said he reacted emotionally to a joke Mr. Rock made about wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair when he strode on stage and slapped Mr. Rock.
“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 part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,” Mr. Smith wrote.
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“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong,” he said.
Monday’s statement was the first time the star of “King Richard” had addressed the comedian.
Mr. Smith had apologized to the Academy when accepting the best-actor prize shortly after the onstage assault, which stunned both the audience in the room and on worldwide TV, not a few of whom thought they might’ve been watching a skit.
But that Sunday night apology did not mention Mr. Rock and also seemed to semi-excuse the attack by saying it came from love and was to protect his family.
Monday’s Instagram statement also included another apology to the Academy, to “all the attendees and everyone watching around the world,” and 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. I am a work in progress,” he said.
The attack, which dominated the nation’s water coolers and social media Monday, came when Mr. Rock was about to present the Oscar for best documentary feature and, noting Ms. Pinkett Smith in the front row and sporting little hair, joked that he was looking forward to seeing her “in ‘G.I. Jane 2.’”
Ms. Pinkett Smith has publicly stated that she has alopecia, which causes hair loss.
Mr. Smith seemed to laugh at first, but then ran on stage, slapped Mr. Rock and returned to his seat.
He then twice yelled from his seat at a nonplussed Mr. Rock “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—-ing mouth!”
Mr. Rock has not publicly commented on the attack.
The Los Angeles Police Department had said it was aware of the attack but Mr. Rock had declined to file an assault complaint.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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