In an incident broadcast globally,Smith walked onto the Oscar stage after Rock made a joke at the expense of Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith,and struck him across the face. Returning to his seat,as the audience reacted in shock,Smith then shouted twice at Rock:“Get my wife’s name out your f---ing mouth.”
“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 his apology statement.“I would like to publicly apologise to you,Chris,” Smith said,directly addressing Rock.
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“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,” the statement said. Smith also apologised to “the Academy,the producers of the show,all the attendees and everyone watching around the world ... the Williams family and my King Richard family”.