Will Smith apologises to Chris Rock in grovelling Instagram post

Oscar winner Will Smith has publicly apologised to Chris Rock after slapping him at yesterday’s Oscars in a lengthy note posted on Instagram.

Will Smith has publicly apologised to Chris Rock after slapping him at Monday’s Oscars.

The Oscar winner, 53, took to Instagram to post a lengthy note saying he was ashamed of his behaviour at the awards show yesterday, which saw him erupt after a joke was made about his wife - Jada Pinkett Smith - as he marched onstage and slapped Rock in the face during the live telecast.

“My behaviour at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” Smith wrote. “Jokes at my expense are a part of the job but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.

“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. 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.”

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The King Richard actor continued: “I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize 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.”

The shocking moment unfolded toward the end of the show when Rock took to the stage and made a joke about Jada’s bald hair, saying: “Jada, I love you, G.I Jane 2 can’t wait to see it”, in reference to the 1997 movie in which Demi Moore plays a bald marine.

Jada has a medical condition - alopecia - which causes hair loss.

Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at Monday’s Oscars. Picture: Robyn Beck / AFP

Jada was clearly unimpressed with the joke, with Smith marching onstage and slapping Rock in the face before repeatedly screaming: “Get my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth” in a moment that stunned millions.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has since launched a formal review into the incident, saying it “condemns the actions of Mr Smith at last night’s show”.

Less than half an hour after the moment, Smith accepted the Oscar for Best Actor, in which he caused controversy for justifying his actions and failing to apologise to Rock.

Smith gave a tearful speech just moments after the incident. Picture: Robyn Beck / AFP

“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” Smith began, speaking of Venus and Serena Williams’ father he plays in the biopic.

“In this time in my life, in this moment, I am overwhelmed by what god is calling on me to do and be in this world.

“Denzel [Washington] said to me a few minutes ago, he said ‘At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you,’” Will continued, attracting a round of applause.

“I want to be a vessel for love. Art imitates life, I look like the crazy father just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things.”

Rock is yet to make a comment, though it’s been reported he declined to press charges.

The incident has many in the industry divided, with TV host Howard Stern saying he was deeply “disturbed” by Smith’s actions.

“This is a sign of great mental illness when you can’t control your impulse. Not only that, it was hardly an insulting joke. It was not even a good joke,” Stern, 68, said on his SiriusXM Show.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith at the Oscars. Picture: David Livingston/Getty Images

“The joke, quite frankly, was beneath Chris Rock. It was a throwaway. ‘You look like G.I. Jane.’”

“He didn’t think twice about what he was about to do. Now that’s crazy, when you can’t contain yourself like that.”

But Smith has plenty of supporters too, with Australian Today presenter Brooke Boney joining the chorus of people defending him.

“To hell with black men who put black women down for the benefit of a mostly white audience. As if getting slapped on stage is worse than humiliating someone because they’re disabled,” Boney wrote on Twitter.

Originally published as Will Smith apologises to Chris Rock in grovelling Instagram post