Regardless of whether you tuned in to the 2022 Oscars on Sunday night, you’ve probably seen the Slap on your timeline by now. The entire internet has been flooded with opinions on Will Smith’s decision to slap Chris Rock for making a joke that referenced his wife’s bald head (Jada Pinkett Smith has alopecia). Now Smith himself has finally weighed in on his actions via an Instagram statement. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,†he wrote. “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.†After calling his behavior “unacceptable,†he explained that “a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear.†This year’s Best Actor winner went on to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the Oscars, all the attendees, the Williams family, the King Richard team, and, just to cover all his bases, “everyone watching around the world.†Smith concluded his statement by calling himself “a work in progress.†Pinkett Smith herself followed up on March 29, posting on Instagram, “This is a season for healing and I’m here for it.†Read Smith’s full apology, which we hope his PR team got paid overtime for, below.
This post has been updated.