Will Smith posts emotional apology video to Chris Rock

will Smith He has opened up about the ongoing controversy over his assault on Chris Rock At this year’s Academy Awards, he offered his sexiest thoughts about a brawl that tarnished his public image. In a touching YouTube post, Smith spoke about why he didn’t apologize to Rock when he accepted a Best Actor award for his work on “King Richard” shortly after he charged onto stage and slapped comedy for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s short haircut. .

“It’s all a mystery,” Smith says. “I’ve reached out to Chris and the message that comes back is that he’s not ready to talk, and when he is, he’ll reach out to him.”

Smith again reiterated that he was sorry for his actions, calling his behavior “unacceptable.” The actor said he responded violently because Rock’s joke referred to Pinkett Smith’s hair loss due to her hair loss. It’s a struggle that Pinkett Smith has publicly addressed in the past.

“No part of me thinks that was the right way to act in that moment,” Smith, sighing deeply at some points and apparently fighting back tears, said in the video. “No part of me thinks this is the best way to deal with feeling disrespected or insulted.”

Smith also addressed questions about whether Pinkett Smith, seen on camera rolling her eyes in a rock joke comparing her buzz to that of Demi Moore in “GI Jane,” had urged him to charge the stage. The actor said that his wife did not say anything to urge him to assault Rock.

“It’s like, you know, I made a decision myself, through my own experience, and from my history with Chris,” Smith says. “Jada had nothing to do with it. I’m sorry babe. I want to say sorry to my boys and family for the heat it brought us all.”

There was speculation that Smith would open up about the fallout surrounding the slap of The Rock in an interview with a high-profile journalist like Oprah Winfrey, but instead the actor chose to use social media to address his fans directly. In the wake of the slap, Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group behind Oscars He offered expressions of regret, but kept a low profile.

Rock recently broke his silence during a standup show in New Jersey, on July 24. Rock joked, “Anyone who says painful words has never been punched in the face,” According to US Weekly. He went on to say he wasn’t a “victim,” joking, “Yes, that hurts, mommy. But I got rid of that and went to work the next day… I don’t go to the hospital to take a paper.”

On Oscar night, Smith attacked Rock moments before presenting the award for Best Documentary to “Summer of Soul” director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. The shocking response to the incident overshadowed Thompson’s time on the podium.

“To all my fellow nominees, you know, this is a community, I won because you voted for me,” Smith says in the video. “And it really breaks my heart that your moment has been stolen and tarnished. I still see Questlove’s eyes. You know, it happened at the Questlove Award. And you know, it’s like ‘I’m sorry’ isn’t really enough.”

Smith eventually closed the video with a vow to learn from his mistakes.

“I know it was baffling, I know it was shocking,” he says. “But I promise you, I am loyal and deeply committed to shedding light, love and joy on the world. And you know, if you hold on, I promise we will be able to be friends again.”