MOVIE NEWS – Will Smith has broken his silence in an Instagram post publicly apologising to Chris Rock for his outburst at the Oscars.

As the dust settles after the 94th Oscars and the headline-grabbing incident – which we reported on – , Will Smith has publicly apologised to ceremony host Chris Rock for his actions last night. Smith took to his Instagram almost 24 hours after what was described as “the slap heard around the world,” offering a lengthy explanation of the moment in which he “reacted emotionally” and admitting that he “deeply” regretted his behaviour.

The post reads:

“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 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 apologise 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.

I would also like to apologise to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologise 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.

Sincerely,

Will”

Although Will Smith apologised for his actions in his acceptance speech for Best Actor for King Richard at Sunday night’s ceremony, he did not address Chris Rock directly at the time. Although it has since been reported that Rock has dismissed the charges, and some say the pair have since resolved the matter, this does not mean the Academy has had the final say on the subject. Having issued a comprehensive statement earlier, this was updated later in the day, saying that a formal investigation would be launched.

The updated statement read: “The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show. 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.”

According to a report, while Rock is not pressing any criminal charges against Will Smith, he was reportedly “shaken and bewildered” by the whole incident; sources say Rock was unaware of Jada Pinkett-Smith’s condition and was simply making fun of her short haircut when he made the reference to G.I. Jane. Whatever the truth, it certainly dealt a knockout blow to an event that has been shrouded in various controversies before and will now be remembered primarily for Smith’s one crazy moment. While the Academy decides what action, if any, to take against the first-ever Best Actor award, it seems we are far from hearing the end of the matter.

Source: Entertainment Weekly