Oscars 2022: Will Smith apologises to Chris Rock after slap

Will Smith has apologised to Chris Rock after he slapped him at the Oscars, describing his behaviour as “unacceptable and inexcusable”.

The American actor slapped Rock in the face on stage after the comic made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

READ MORE: Will Smith slaps Chris Rock at the Oscars for making jokes about his wife’s head

Rock had taken aim at Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, which is a result of the hair-loss condition alopecia.

“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,” Smith said in a statement.

He continued: “I would like to publicly apologize 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.”

Full statement below

Smith’s apology comes after the Oscars film academy condemned the incident in a statement and announced a formal review.

“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,” it said.