Comment Finally, some answers to the slap heard around the world. On Friday morning, Will Smith released a video answering questions about Chris Rock’s slap at the Academy Awards. The incident tarnished Smith’s Golden Boy Hollywood image (perhaps forever), led to a ten-year ban from the Academy, and sparked a serious debate about the role, if any, of violence in public displays of anger. “Disappointing people is my central trauma,” Smith said on camera. “I hate when I let people down. It hurts.” In the nearly six-minute YouTube video, Smith addressed frequently asked questions he received after the incident. Did his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, tell him to do it? No. Why didn’t he apologize to Rock during his acceptance speech moments later? It was a “blur”. It was a standing ovation for Will Smith at the Vanity Fair Oscars party During the Oscars, Rock took the stage to present the winner of the documentary category, but he started with a joke. Taking aim at Jada Pinkett Smith’s closely cropped head, which may have been a result of her struggles with alopecia, she said: ‘Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, I can’t wait to see it.” Smith then took the stage, punched Rock in the face before returning to his seat, where he repeatedly yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth.” Smith apologized on social media shortly after the event, but Rock has remained largely silent, though he briefly touched on the issue during a stand-up set in March: “I had a whole show that I wrote before the weekend he said, according to a Washington Post reporter in the audience. “And I’m still processing what happened. At some point I will talk about it.” A Rock representative could not immediately be reached for comment. Jada Pinkett Smith Addresses Her Alopecia On ‘Red Table Talk’ The video was a chain of apologies — to Rock, Pinkett Smith, his family, the Academy, Questlove, his fans and even Rock’s mother, who said during an interview with an NBC affiliate that when the Smith “slapped Chris, slapped us all. He really slapped me.” There were several moments in which Smith appeared to be holding back tears, including the look in the eyes of Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, who was awarded the trophy for best documentary for “Summer of Soul (… Or, When the revolution couldn’t be televised)” shortly after the incident. It was Thompson’s first Oscar. Smith paused to consider his words: “I’m sorry it’s not really adequate.” Will Smith slapped Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife’s hair during the Oscars on March 27. Smith won Best Actor for “King Richard.” (Video: Allie Caren/The Washington Post, Photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters/The Washington Post) To his fans who were disappointed by his actions, he said: “I know it was confusing. I know it was shocking. But I promise you, I am deeply committed and dedicated to putting light, love and joy into the world. And, you know, if you keep going, I promise we can be friends again.” Smith also said he’s committed to doing work on himself — trying to be “repentant without shame. Correctly? I am human. And I made a mistake and I try not to think of myself as a piece of s—.” But according to Smith, Rock isn’t ready for a face-to-face apology just yet. “I reached out to Chris and the message he got back is that he’s not ready to talk and when he is he will,” Smith said. “Well, I’ll tell you, Chris, I apologize. My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
