Will Smith Posts Video Apology for Slapping Chris Rock: 'I'm Sorry Really Isn't Sufficient'

Will Smith has posted a video on YouTube where he apologized to Chris Rock for slapping him during the Academy Awards earlier this year. The actor admitted that his behavior was "unacceptable," and revealed that he had reached out to Rock to discuss the scandalous incident, but the comedian wasn't ready to talk to him.

The video starts with the following message: "It's been a minute... Over the last few months, I've been doing a lot of thinking and personal work... You asked a lot of fair questions that I wanted to take some time to answer."

Smith appears in the shot, wearing a white polo shirt and white cap, and, speaking directly to a camera, starts answering pre-selected questions about the slapping incident, which occurred on March 27.

First, Smith, who won Best Actor for his leading role in King Richard shortly after slapping Rock, revealed the reason why he didn't apologize to the comedian during his acceptance speech.

"I was fogged out by that point. It's all fuzzy. I’ve reached out to Chris, and the message that came back is that he is not ready to talk. But when he is, he will reach out,” Smith said, before adding, "So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable, and I'm here whenever you're ready to talk."

The "I Am Legend" star then decided to apologize to Rock's mother, Rosalie, saying that he'd seen an interview she did following the incident.

“I didn’t realize and I wasn’t thinking about how many people got hurt in that moment. And I wanna apologize to Chris’s mother. I want to apologize to Chris's family. Specifically, Tony Rock,” Smith continued, referring to Chris' brother. “We had a great relationship. Tony Rock was my man. And this is probably irreparable.”

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The actor went on to explain that he had spent the last three months "replaying" the incident and trying to understand what happened in that moment.

“I can say to all of you that there is no part of me that thinks that this was the right way to behave in that moment. There’s no part of me that thinks that this is the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insult,” the Oscar-winning actor asserted.

The second question he addressed was whether his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith told him to confront Rock after the comedian made a joke about her alopecia, albeit not being aware of her condition.

"No," he said emphatically. "I made a choice on my own, from my own experiences, from my history with Chris. Jada had nothing to do with it,” he said, before also apologizing to her and their children "for the heat that I brought on all of us."

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He went on to apologize to his fellow nominees and those who voted for his candidacy: "I'm sorry really isn't sufficient."

"I hate when I let people down. So, it hurts. It hurts me psychologically and emotionally to know I didn't live up to people's image and impression of me and the work I'm trying to do is I am deeply remorseful, and I'm trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself. I'm human. And, I made a mistake, and I'm trying not to think of myself as a piece of s**t. So, I would say to those people, I know it was confusing. I know it was shocking, but I promise you I am deeply devoted and committed to putting light and love and joy into the world, and you know if you hang on I promise we'll be able to be friends again," the "Men in Black" star concluded.

Following the altercation, the motion picture academy banned Smith from attending the Oscars or any other academy event for 10 years. Smith apologized to Rock in a statement after the Oscars, saying he was "out of line and I was wrong."