It’s been just over four months since the 94th Academy Awards and while most people have moved on since the infamous slap, actor Will Smith felt he still had some explaining to do and released a video Friday lamenting his “central trauma.”
Before winning the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Richard Williams, father and coach to tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, in the film “King Richard,” Smith made television history when he marched on stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock after a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, was poorly received.
Since that time, Smith had received a ten-year ban from the ceremony and offered up his profound apologies to anyone he may have hurt by his actions while countless celebrities weighed in on the altercation. Now, while certain projects of his had been put on the back burner, the blockbuster actor seemed to be testing the waters to see if the public was ready for business as usual.
“It’s been a minute,” began the message in a video posted to Smith’s social media accounts Friday. “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.”
Chief among the unanswered questions was why the actor hadn’t apologized at the time when he accepted his Oscar the night of the slap. To that he explained, “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’s not ready to talk and when he is, he will reach out. 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.”
Though Rock might not be prepared to talk with Smith about it, he has had no apparent trouble integrating the incident into his comedy routine after his own initial period to process what happened. Recently he was joined by Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart on stage as they made light of the actor by naming a live goat “Will Smith” as part of a skit.
Dave Chappelle shows up as surprise opener at Chris Rock-Kevin Hart MSG show: ‘Had to sneak my way in here’ https://t.co/H2sqzCAKn9 pic.twitter.com/MmbbYXi4Av
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) July 25, 2022
Smith suggested this matter is not as easy for him to move past after reiterating apologies to Rock, Rock’s family, the community, and his own family explaining, “Disappointing people is my central trauma. 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.”
“The work I’m trying to do is – I am deeply remorseful, and I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself,” he went on, adding, “I’m human. I made a mistake and I’m trying not to think of myself as a piece of sh*t.”
Despite seemingly struggling with his own ego over his wrongdoing, Smith acknowledged, “there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment. There’s no part of me that thinks that is the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults.”
He also made clear that his wife’s reaction had nothing to do with his decision to confront Rock on stage. “I made a choice on my own from my own experiences, from my history with Chris – Jada had nothin’ to do with it.”
At the end of the video, Smith expressed his hope that he would set things right and that, to his fans, “If you hang on I promise we’ll be able to be friends again.”
However, reactions online seemed to indicate, just like after the initial incident, the court of public opinion was unmoved by the apology, and sides in favor and opposed to Smith remain firm.
Will Smith’s feelings about disappointing people being his central trauma is exactly how I feel about being a disappointment. It’s a heavy psychological burden, man…
— Tristen J. Winger (@TristenJWinger) July 29, 2022
I hope Will Smith can go about his life after today. Everyone else has.
— Jasmyn (@JasmynBeKnowing) July 30, 2022
My favorite part of Will Smith's apology is him making it CLEAR that Jada never told him to do anything to Chris after his joke. So many people built a following off of blaming Jada and spewing hatred at her for what Will did.
— MBali 💫 (@TheJessieWoo) July 29, 2022
Will Smith slapped somebody. You would think he murdered that man on live television.
— DeAnn Wiley, MA, TLLP (@DeeLaSheeArt) July 29, 2022
Will Smith did nothing wrong in my book. The fact Chris Rock is not ready to hear his apology but keeps making jokes about it every night and didn’t even apologize to Jada let’s me know enough the situation.
— TV Fanatic👑⚜️ (@TvKhaleesi) July 29, 2022
Will Smith has lost me again. Dude, Chris said he’ll contact you when he’s ready, why are you pushing him? You attacked a man on a global broadcast. You don’t get to pick the redemption schedule, and by doing it publicly, you made it about you… again. Back, back Bad Boy.
— Titus (@TitusNation) July 29, 2022
Will Smith has Chris Rock's number so him making a public apology just tells me this was more for the companies that have him blackballed more than anything
— Slick (@YalKnoItsNick) July 29, 2022
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
- West Oakland activists latch on to environmental justice to push for reparations: ‘It still comes down to race’ - May 31, 2023
- HS student says debate judge ‘warned’ her not to bring up Trump: ‘She deemed it inappropriate’ - May 31, 2023
- An arrest has been made nearly four months after shooting death of GOP New Jersey councilwoman - May 31, 2023
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
