Will Smith Claims He Tried To Apologize To Chris Rock, But The Comedian Is “Not Ready To Talk”

Will Smith has issued a full apology after slapping Chris Rock during the 2022 Oscars telecast in March. Smith shared a video to YouTube Friday titled “It’s Been a Minute….” in which he addressed the slap and detailed the “thinking” and “personal work” he’s been doing since the incident.

Smith, who was awarded Best Actor at the ceremony not long after he stormed the stage and struck Rock across the face for joking about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, described the moment as “fuzzy” before explaining why he didn’t apologize during his acceptance speech.

The actor claimed he has reached out to Rock since, but was told the comedian is “not ready to talk.”

“Chris, I apologize to you,” Smith said. “My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”

He went on to apologize to Rock’s family, specifically his mother and brother, Tony Rock. “I saw an interview that Chris’ mother did and that was one of the things about that moment, I just didn’t realize, I wasn’t thinking about how many people got hurt in that moment,” Smith said.

“Tony Rock was my man,” he added, describing his relationship with Tony as “great” before admitting, “This is probably irreparable.”

Smith also denied that Jada encouraged him to retaliate for Rock’s joke, which he cracked about her bald head. Smith explained, “I made a choice on my own from my own experiences, from my history with Chris. Jada had nothing to do with it,” before apologizing to his own wife and kids.

He continued issuing apologies, with his next directed at his fellow Oscar nominees: “It really breaks my heart to have stolen and tarnished your moment,” Smith said. He then singled out Questlove, who was awarded an Oscar shortly after the slap. Smith told the musician, “I’m sorry really isn’t sufficient.”

In the final segment of his video, Smith shared a message with people who feel like he let down.

“Disappointing people is my central trauma. I hate when I let people down, so 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 said.

Smith continued, “I’m human, and I made a mistake and I’m trying not to think of myself as a piece of shit. So I would say to those people, I know it was confusing, I know it was shocking, but I promise you, I am deeply devoted and committed to putting light and love and joy into the world, and if you hang on, I promise we’ll be able to be friends again.”

Smith’s video follows an Instagram apology he issued in late March. In a statement posted to his account just days after the slap, Smith publicly apologized to Rock and said he was “embarrassed” about his actions.

Watch Smith’s full apology in the video above.