Will Smith did not have a good Sunday despite winning the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in the movie King Richards , where he plays the father of tennis players Venus and Serena Williams. Halfway through the ceremony, Smith got up from his seat and walked to the stage to slap Chris Rock , who had just made a joke about the hair of Jada Pinkett Smith, Will’s wife. Furious, the actor returned to his place while Rock tried to soften what happened with such effectiveness that it made us doubt if what we had just witnessed was part of a comedy skit . Once in his seat, Smith shouted to show his anger and make it clear that he was not acting: “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”

After that it was all confusion. And even more so when Smith was announced as the winner in the category in which he was contending. Receiving his award, he cried and talked about being a “vessel for love” and the challenges he has had to face in the industry. He spoke of the advice Denzel Washington had given him in the commercial break ( “Be careful: at your most stop when the devil’s coming for you” ) and apologized to both the Academy and his fellow nominees, but not Chris Rock.

After the ceremony, the actor was seen dancing happily with his statuette at the Vanity Fair party.

Today the media woke up with the image of the day: Will Smith hitting Chris Rock. In addition, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood issued a statement announcing that it explores “actions and consequences” in the face of the actor’s acts and that it condemns all types of violence.

A few hours ago the actor made an apology public through his Instagram profile :

“ Violence in all its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at the Academy Awards last night was unacceptable and inexcusable. Teasing at my expense is part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me and I reacted emotionally.
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of place and I was wrong. I am ashamed 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.
“I would also like to apologize to the Academy, to the producers of the show, to everyone in attendance and everyone who watched it around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams family and my (production) King Richard family. I deeply regret that my behavior has tarnished what has been a wonderful journey for all of us.
I am a work in progress.”

 

The post does not have the number of likes enabled, nor does it allow comments.

So far Chris Rock has not commented on Smith’s post.