Will Smith apologizes to Chris Rock for slapping him at Oscars: ‘I was out of line and I was wrong’

LOS ANGELES — The day after slapping Chris Rock on the stage of the 94th Academy Awards, Will Smith issued an apology to the comic, the academy and viewers at dwelling, saying he was “out of line” and that his actions are “not indicative of the person I wish to be.”

The fallout of Sunday’s present continued Monday because the Academy of Movement Photos Arts and Sciences condemned Smith’s onstage assault and stated it could launch an inquiry into it. Later within the day, Smith gave a stronger apology than he did in his finest actor acceptance speech, which notably did not embrace apologizing to Rock.

“Violence in all of its varieties is toxic and damaging,” stated Smith. “My habits finally night time’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are part of the job, however a joke about Jada’s medical situation was an excessive amount of for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. I want to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I used to be out of line and I used to be improper. I’m embarrassed and my actions weren’t indicative of the person I wish to be. There is no such thing as a place for violence in a world of affection and kindness.”

Smith added apologies to the movie academy, producers of the telecast, attendees, viewers and the Williams household. Smith was honored for his position as Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena.

“I’m a piece in progress,” added Smith.

WATCH: Will Smith’s stunning Oscars stage confrontation with Chris Rock

Earlier Monday, the movie academy stated: “The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith finally night time’s present. We’ve formally began a proper assessment across the incident and can discover additional motion and penalties in accordance with our bylaws, requirements of conduct and California regulation.”

The fallout from Smith’s onstage assault continued Monday, as Hollywood and the general public continued to wrestle with a second that shocked the Dolby Theatre crowd and viewers at dwelling, and should have handed all others – even that gold-standard flub, EnvelopeGate – in Academy Awards infamy.

Smith shocked the Dolby Theatre crowd and viewers at dwelling when he took the stage throughout Rock’s remarks after the comic made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, Smith’s spouse. Rock stated, “Jada, I like you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ cannot wait to see it.”

The joke touched a nerve. Pinkett Smith, whose head is shaved, has spoken publicly about her alopecia prognosis. Smith strode on stage and slapped Rock throughout the face. Again in his seat, Smith twice shouted for Rock to “get my spouse’s title out your (expletive) mouth.” His phrases echoed clearly all through the Dolby, although broadcaster ABC reduce the audio for about 15 seconds. Inside an hour, Smith gained finest actor. Throughout his acceptance speech, Smith apologized to the academy.

WATCH: Will Smith’s full acceptance speech

After the present Sunday night time, the academy posted a press release condemning violence. The Los Angeles Police Division stated Sunday it was conscious of the incident however not pursuing an investigation as a result of the particular person concerned declined to file a police report.

Some academy members, like writer-producer Marshall Herskovitz, known as for the academy to take disciplinary motion in opposition to Smith.

“He disgraced our whole group tonight,” wrote Herskovitz on Twitter.

Whoopi Goldberg, a member of the Academy’s board of governors, stated Monday on “The View”: “We’re not going to take that Oscar from him. There will likely be penalties, I am positive.”

The Display Actors Guild additionally weighed in. The movie, tv and radio union known as the incident “unacceptable” and stated “violence or bodily abuse within the office isn’t acceptable.” SAG stated that it had been in touch with the academy and ABC, and it does not touch upon the guild’s personal disciplinary course of.

A way of disbelief hung within the air on the Dolby Theatre after Smith’s assault, and it did not dissipate Monday. Not solely was it a hard-to-fathom break with decorum on stay nationwide tv – an incident so dramatic, even movie-like, that many initially assumed it was a staged bit – it appeared wildly out of character for considered one of Hollywood’s most relentlessly upbeat stars.

MORE: Chris Rock will not press expenses in opposition to Will Smith for Oscars slap, LAPD says

All of this lower than an hour earlier than Smith reached probably the climactic second of his profession, profitable his first Oscar, for finest actor.

“In a manner, I really feel unhealthy for Will Smith, too, as a result of I believe he let his feelings get the higher of him, and this could have been one of many nice nights of his life,” stated former Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel on Invoice Simmons’ podcast. “And now it isn’t. Was there anybody who did not like Will Smith an hour in the past on the planet? Like nobody, proper? Now he does not have a single comic good friend – that is for positive.”

Some questioned whether or not Smith ought to have been allowed to proceed to sit down entrance and middle after smacking Rock. A number of stars rushed to counsel and calm Smith, together with Denzel Washington, Bradley Cooper and Tyler Perry. However the timing was additionally awkward as a result of the very best actor class was due up quickly after, and Smith had lengthy been thought of a lock for the award.

“I do know we’re all nonetheless processing, however the best way informal violence was normalized tonight by a collective nationwide viewers may have penalties that we will not even fathom within the second,” wrote Janai Nelson, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Authorized Protection Fund, on Twitter.

The joke that provoked Smith was not a part of Rock’s routine throughout the rehearsals main as much as the present, in accordance with two sources near manufacturing who weren’t licensed to talk publicly.

Rock had joked about Pinkett Smith earlier than. He hosted the 2016 Oscars, when some have been boycotting the ceremony over the #OscarsSoWhite group of nominees, together with the Smiths. Stated Rock: “Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited.”

The drama overshadowed some historic wins at an Oscars. The deaf household drama “CODA” turned the primary movie with a largely deaf forged to win finest image. For the primary time, a streaming service, Apple TV+, took Hollywood’s prime honor, signaling a profound shift in Hollywood and in moviegoing. Ariana DeBose of “West Facet Story” turned the primary Afro-Latina and the primary brazenly LGBTQ actor to win finest supporting actress.