Oscar-winning actor Will Smith shared an emotional video apologizing to Chris Rock and his mother

Will Smith has spoken out about the ongoing issue following the assault he committed on Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards, giving his most unfiltered opinions on the incident that has damaged his reputation. In a tearful YouTube video, Smith explained why he didn't apologize to Rock after charging the stage and slapping the comedian for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's short hair and soon before accepting the best actor award for his role in "King Richard."

In the video shared by Will, It’s been a minute, says the text at the start of the video. I've been doing a lot of reflecting and personal work over the past few months. I wanted to take some time to respond to all the fair questions you asked. Will starts speaking by saying, “Why didn't you apologize to Chris in your acceptance speech?" “I was fogged out by that point. It was all fuzzy. I've reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he is not ready to talk. When he is, he will reach out. So I will say to you, Chris. I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I am here whenever you are ready to talk.”

He further continued, “This is probably irreplaceable. I spent the last 3 months replaying and understanding the nuances and complexities of what happened at that moment and I will not unpack all that right now. I can say that there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave at that moment. There is no part of me that thinks that that is the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults."

Smith also responded to comments about whether Pinkett Smith had inspired him to charge the stage after being caught on camera rolling her eyes at Rock's joke comparing her buzzcut to the one Demi Moore wears in "G.I. Jane." The actor said that his wife made no comments that inspired him to strike Rock. The Aladdin actor elaborated, “It’s like, you know, I made a choice on my own, from my own experiences, from my history with Chris. Jada had nothing to do with it. I’m sorry, babe. I want to say sorry to my kids and my family for the heat that I brought on all of us.”