Chris Rock has ‘no plans’ to reach out to Will Smith after the actor publicly apologised for THAT Oscars slap
- The Fresh Prince of Bel Air star, 53, said on Friday that he had taken the last four months to ‘work’ on himself after hitting Chris at the Oscars in March
- A source has since reported the comedian, 57, isn’t currently ready to rekindle a friendship and said that Will’s apology was simply a bid to repair his image
- Chris, who was hosting the Academy Awards show back in March, joked that Smith’s wife Jada looked like ‘G.I. Jane’ because of her bald head
Chris Rock has ‘no plans’ to reach out to Will Smith after the actor issued a formal apology for slapping him at the Academy Awards, it has been claimed.
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air star, 53, said via Instagram on Friday that he had taken the last four months to ‘work’ on himself after hitting Chris at the Oscars in March.
A source has since reported the comedian, 57, isn’t currently ready to rekindle a friendship and said that Will’s apology was simply a bid to repair his public image.
Not ready: Chris Rock has ‘no plans’ to reach out to Will Smith after the actor issued a formal apology for slapping him at the Academy Awards, it has been claimed
An insider told ET Online: ‘Chris has no plans to reach out to Will’ before adding: ‘He [Will] needs the public’s forgiveness, not Chris’.’
Taking to Instagram on Friday, the King Richard actor said in his apology: ‘I’ve reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk when he is, he will reach out.
‘So I will say to you, Chris, I apologise to you. My behaviour was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.’
He also apologised to Chris’ mother and his entire family, specifically his mother and his younger brother Tony.
Slap: The Fresh Prince of Bel Air star, 53, said via Instagram on Friday that he had taken the last four months to ‘work’ on himself after hitting Chris at the Oscars in March
Will said: ‘I just didn’t realise how many people got hurt in that moment, so I want to apologise to Chris’s mother. I want to apologise.
‘I want to apologise to Tony Rock… Tony Rock was my man and this is probably irreparable,’ he said.
He also apologised to Jada Pinkett Smith, his wife whose honour he claimed to be defending with the outburst, and said she had ‘nothing to do with it’.
‘I spent the last three months replaying and understanding the nuances and the complexities of what happened in that moment.
Startled: Chris was left visibly stunned following the incident on stage
‘I’m not going to try to unpack all of that right now but I can say to all of you, there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment.
‘There is no part of me that thinks that’s the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults.’
Chris, who was hosting the Academy Awards show back in March, joked that Smith’s wife Jada looked like ‘G.I. Jane’ because of her bald head.
She had recently revealed that she suffers from alopecia.
Will stormed the stage and slapped Rock after fuming: ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f*****g mouth.’
He went on to win Best Actor for his role in King Richard that night, but he did not specifically apologise to Rock.
Insisting that his wife had nothing to do with the slap, he went on: ‘I made a choice of my own from my own experiences from my history with Chris. Jada had nothing to do with it. I’m sorry, babe.
‘I want to say sorry to my kids and my family for the heat that I brought on all of us. To all my fellow nominees, this is a community.
‘It’s like, I won because you voted for me and it breaks my heart to have stolen and tarnished your moment.’
Will went on to claim that ‘disappointing people’ is his ‘central trauma’, adding: ‘I can still see Questlove’s eyes. You know it happened on Questlove’s award. You know, it’s like. I’m sorry really isn’t sufficient. Disappointing people is my central trauma.
Before the events: Will’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith had recently revealed that she was suffering alopecia and had shaved her head (pictured on the night of the Oscars in March)
‘I hate when I let people down so it hurts. It hurts me psychologically and emotionally to know I didn’t live up to people’s image and impression of me, and the work I am trying to do is I am deeply remorseful.
‘And I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself. I’m human and I made a mistake and I’m trying not to think of myself as a piece of s**t.
‘I would say to those people I know it was confusing, I know it was shocking, but I promise you I am deeply devoted and committed to putting light and love and joy into the world.
‘And, you know, if you hang on I promise we’ll be able to be friends again,’ he said to the fans he had let down.’
Saying sorry: Will previously apologised in a message that was shared to his Instagram account in March
Will issued his first apology to Rock back in March. He posted a lengthy statement on Instagram where he said ‘violence in all its forms’ was wrong.
Chris only recently addressed the controversy at a Madison Square Garden show, where he laughed it off.
During his show, Rock said via CNN that ‘everybody is trying to be a f***ing victim. If everybody claims to be a victim, then nobody will hear the real victims.’
The Grown Ups actor then expressed that going through the experience of ‘getting smacked’ was something that he had to work through quickly.
The performer noted that, after getting slapped, ‘I went to work the next day, I got kids’.
He also quipped: ‘Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face.’
Remorse: The actor said he was ‘fogged out’ during his acceptance speech, and that is why he did not apologise to Chris at the time
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