A video apology from Will Smith four months after 'The Slap'

During the 94th annual Oscars ceremony, Will Smith made headlines for slapping comedian Chris Rock during a live taping. Smith was slapped after Rock made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who is reportedly suffering from alopecia.

Four months after the incident, Smith released a video apologizing to Rock in a formal, official manner. “It's been a while...During the last few months, I've been focusing more on my personal work and thinking...”, the onscreen text read before Smith was able to make himself visible.

As Smith explained in the video, he did not apologize to Rock during his acceptance speech when he claimed the "Best Actor" award for his role in "King Richard." The actor admitted that he was "fogged out" at the time, but has since approached Rock about the situation.

I have reached out to Chris, and I have been sent a message back with the message that Chris is not ready to talk right now, and when he is ready, he will get in touch,” Smith said in the video. After seeing Rock's mom's interview, he apologized to her. At that moment, I did not realize how many people got hurt as a result of what I did.

The image of Smith getting emotional revealed that there is no part of him that believes that was the right way to behave in that circumstance at the time. There's no part of me that believes that would be the best option for handling a feeling of disrespect or insults in the right manner

Additionally, Smith addressed the theory that he became aggressive because of Pinkett Smith's alleged eye roll caught on camera, which he said prompted him to act out. As far as Smith is concerned, he took full responsibility for his actions, saying that he made the decision on his own and based on his own experience.”

While Smith confessed that his prior decision "hurts, psychologically and emotionally," he is doing everything he can to be as remorseful as possible without being ashamed of the decision. The truth is, I am a human being.”

Towards the end of Smith's five-minute video, he made a promise that he would turn a mistake into a growth opportunity in the future. Announcing his resignation, he promised his disappointed fans that he would remain deeply committed and dedicated to bringing light, love, and joy into the world. If you hold on, I promise we can once again become friends."

source: UPWORTHY