Mumbai: Actor Will Smith on Monday offered an apology to Chris Rock for slamming the comedian during the Oscars ceremony, as the body overseeing the awards said it was initiating a formal review of the incident. . The Rock hit on a joke about wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair. The ‘King Richard’ star wrote on Instagram, ‘I want to apologize publicly to you. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am ashamed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be.’
Will Smith’s public apology was about to slap the Oscars on Chris Rock. Will Smith further said- ‘Violence in all its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and unforgivable. Jane appeared set to star in 2″ – a sequel to a film about a female soldier who has his head shaved. After laughing at the joke for the first time, Smith went on stage and hit The Rock with an open hand. He then returned to his seat and shouted: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f*g mouth.”
Smith apologized in tears to his fellow nominees and the Academy – but not The Rock – minutes after he accepted his historic Oscar. ‘Love will drive you crazy’, he said. Smith’s foreign ministry came hours after the Academy condemned his behavior and said it was looking into possible sanctions. “We have officially begun a formal review of the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our bylaws, standards of conduct and California law,” it said in a statement. Celebrities in Tinseltown and beyond reacted to Smith’s outburst with shock and stunned amazement, with some defending him and others condemning his display of “toxic masculinity.”
Filmmaker Judd Apatow said in a later deleted tweet, “He could have killed her. This is completely out of control anger and violence.” “Stand-up comics are very adept at handling hecklers. Violent physical assault … not so much,” said “Star Wars” icon Mark Hamill. The comedy world was quick to rally in favor of The Rock, complaining that Smith’s outburst could incite coping behavior, endangering other stand-ups.
