Will Smith

Apology posted on Instagram comes as the Academy reviews the incident, which was broadcast live around the world.

I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be,” the winner of the best actor Oscar wrote on Instagram on Monday night. Weinstein was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison in March 2020 after being found guilty of rape and other sexual offences. Less than an hour later, Smith won the best actor award for his role as the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams in the film King Richard. Producer Harvey Weinstein was expelled in 2017 after more than three dozen women accused him of sexual assault. Rock, in a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, had referenced the 1997 film G.I. Jane in which actress Demi Moore shaved her head. The couple has been married since 1997.

King Richard” star Will Smith appeared to hit Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars after the stand-up comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.

The extraordinary moment set off a frenzy of conversation on social media, where the moment was intensely dissected. In 2018, Pinkett Smith revealed she was diagnosed with alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss. He was nominated for “Ali” in 2002, the year Washington became only the second Black man to win best actor, for “Training Day.” He was recognized five years later for “The Pursuit of Happyness” but lost to Forest Whitaker for “The Last King of Scotland.” Smith, who got his start as a hip-hop MC and star of the NBC sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” rocketed to movie superstardom in the 1990s with hits such as “Bad Boys,” “Independence Day” and “Men in Black.” But he did not address Rock and attempted to justify what he did. "Art imitates life.

The apparently unscripted moment stunned viewers and audiences alike. The telecast was muted and paused in the United States.

But the joke drew a lukewarm reception, prompting Rock to add: “That was a nice one!” Rock joked that Smith’s wife, the actress Jada Pinkett Smith, was in “G.I. Jane 2,” seemingly a reference to her short-cropped hair. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees.” She first shared the diagnosis in 2018 on an episode of her talk show, when she said she had decided to cut her hair short after handfuls of it came out in the shower. Jada Pinkett Smith immediately rolled her eyes at the joke. “Jada, I love you.

Editor's note: This post contains information that some may find offensive. It was an unsurprising Oscars telecast until Will Smith hit Chris Rock.

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When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards for telling a joke about his wife, it divided Hollywood, sparking denunciations, defenses and ...

“In a way, I feel bad for Will Smith too, because I think he let his emotions get the better of him, and this should have been one of the great nights of his life,” Mr. Kimmel said. Others seemed to defend Mr. Smith. “Many takes on here about Will Smith and Chris Rock, especially from people whose partners are not Black women (mainly white people),” the author Frederick Joseph tweeted. Mr. Smith was not deterred from celebrating his win on Sunday night, dancing at a crowded party after the Oscars while holding his trophy, but he avoided questions about the incident. What I’m hearing from everybody is that this was not the material that was rehearsed.” “I was out of line and I was wrong,” said Smith, who hit Rock at the Oscars after the comedian made a joke about his wife. The incident unfolded Sunday night after Mr. Rock made a joke about the buzzed hair of Mr. Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia, a condition that leads to hair loss. “I am a work in progress.” “Let me tell you something, it’s a very bad practice to walk up onstage and physically assault a comedian,” Kathy Griffin tweeted. “I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be.” “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.” The Academy was not known to have expelled a member before 2017, when Harvey Weinstein was removed amid allegations of sexual harassment and rape. The academy’s statement came after a meeting Monday. A five-page document on standards of conduct that accompanied it spells out behavior the organization deems unacceptable.

The actor says he was "out of line" after he slapped the comedian on stage at the Oscars.

"I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things." He could still receive a gentler sanction such as having his Academy membership suspended, but that may now be less likely following his apology. It would be impossible for any journalist or chat show host to interview either of them while they're plugging a new film without bringing it up. "I would like to publicly apologise to you, Chris," he said in a statement. The signs so far suggest he intends to shrug the episode off with good humour. "My behaviour at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable.