Will Smith shares video, detailed response to beating incident

Will Smith shared a video, responding in detail for the first time to the fact that he hit Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars, and apologized again.

Smith said he had been thinking about it for the past three months, about the nuances and complexities of the moment, stressing that “I don’t think I acted correctly at all, I don’t think that’s the ideal way to respond to disrespect and offense” and decided to respond to some of the questions in detail.

-Smith said he was confused and his mind was in a daze.

He has since contacted Rock, who replied that Rock was not ready to talk to him about it and that he would contact Smith when he was ready.

Smith said, “I want to say to you, Chris , that I apologize and that my behavior was unacceptable. Whenever you’re ready to talk to me, I’m here for you.”

He also apologized to Rock’s family, mother and brother, “One of the things I didn’t realize and didn’t think about at the time was how many people were hurt in that moment.” Stating that Rock’s brother Tony Rock used to have a good relationship with himself, “This incident (the consequences to the relationship between the two) may be irreparable.”

-Jada rolled her eyes at the time because of that joke, did she tell you to take action afterwards?

Smith said his actions were entirely his own choice, “I made my own choices based on my own experiences, my past with Chris, and it had nothing to do with Jada. Smith also apologized to Jada and their children, saying they were also devastated by his actions.

Smith also apologized to the Oscar nominees and winners at the same venue, and he also mentioned Questlove (who won Best Documentary Feature with ‘Summer of Soul’), who was on stage at the time after the beating, “That happened at your award, and my behavior took over and tarnished the moment that should have been yours. …… A ‘sorry’ is not enough.” –

What would you say to those who have looked up to you, or those who say you’ve let them down?

Smith says “letting people down” is the most traumatic thing for him, and his fear of letting people down and knowing that he didn’t live up to their expectations can take a huge toll on him psychologically and emotionally. What he’s trying to do today is: “I’m remorseful, and I’m trying not to be ashamed of myself while feeling remorseful. I’m human, I make mistakes, and I’m trying not to think I’m a piece of crap. So I want to say to these people: I know what I have done is shocking and unsettling, but I promise you this: I am fully committed to bringing light and joy to the world. If you can stay, I promise we can be friends again.’

Related Post: Chris Rock talks about being slapped by Will Smith after 4 months: I’m not a victim.