LOS ANGELES — Less than 24 hours after slapping Chris Rock during the Academy Awards ceremony, Will Smith issued a public apology to the actor Monday.
Smith posted his apology to Instagram, saying he was out of line following his actions which were spurred by a joke Rock made at the expense of Smith's wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Minutes after hitting Rock, Smith was given a standing ovation for winning Best Actor for his work on the film "King Richard."
"Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are party 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 publically 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."
On Monday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which runs the Oscars, announced it was launching a formal review into the incident.
“The academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show,” the academy said in a statement. “We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our bylaws, standards of conduct, and California law.”
