Will Smith has released a public apology to Chris Rock after slapping him in the face at the Oscars earlier this week.
As I'm sure you already know by now, Smith and Rock became the unexpected talking point of the Academy Awards this year. The King Richard star shocked viewers by climbing up on stage and hitting host and comedian Rock for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
The last 24 hours have seen a deluge of opinions, mostly from people who have absolutely no idea what they're talking about. That's the way of the internet, of course. Some believe Smith did the right thing by "defending his wife". Others reckon Rock should have been able to make a joke without being attacked, although the counter argument there is that mining a woman's illness for giggles isn't a great look.
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Whatever your opinion (and I promise I don't care what it is and I definitely didn't ask for it), Smith has now said sorry to Rock.
"Violence in all of its form is poisonous and destructive," the Wild Wild West star wrote in a post on Instagram. "My behavior at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. 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."
He finished: "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."
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