Chris Rock responds to rumours he apologised to Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith
30 March 2022, 15:05
Watch the full confrontation between Will Smith and Chris Rock live on the Oscars stage after gag about Jada Pinkett Smith
After the fake apology started circulating online, Rock's team took to Twitter to shut down the rumours
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Chris Rock's team have denied claims that he apologised to Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith after Will slapped him in the face at the Oscars on Sunday after he joked about Jada's hair loss.
Chris Rock "didn’t know" Jada Pinkett-Smith has alopecia
Senior Film Editor Rebecca Keegan confirmed in a tweet that the online statement supposedly made by Rock, which was posted on Facebook was indeed a fake.
Chris Rock has not yet issued a statement. There is a statement going around purporting to be from Rock that is not from him, per his team. It’s the one that starts, “As a comedian it can be difficult to understand…”
— Rebecca Keegan (@ThatRebecca) March 29, 2022
"Chris Rock has not yet issued a statement. There is a statement going around purporting to be from Rock that is not from him, per his team. It’s the one that starts, “As a comedian it can be difficult to understand…” she tweeted from her personal account.
The fake statement read: "As a comedian, it can be difficult to understand which lines are to be crossed and which ones aren’t. Last night I crossed a line that I shouldn’t have and paid the enormous price of my reputation as a renowned comedian".
"Comedy is never about poking fun at or making light of people with major ordeals happening in their lives. Comedy is about using real-life circumstances to create laughter and bring light to an otherwise dark world".
"With that said, I sincerely apologize to my friends Jada Pinkett-Smith, Will Smith, and the rest of the Smith family for the disrespect and disregard I displayed, which was unfortunately broadcast for the world to see. I hope that, with time, forgiveness can come of this situation, and we can all be better, more considerate people in the end. – Chris Rock" it concluded.
In the meanwhile, Smith apologised on his Instagram, posting a statement that said:
"Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. 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".
He continued: "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. 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".
"I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us. I am a work in progress. Sincerely, Will".
Watch slow-motion clip of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars
He later went onto win the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father and coach of Venus and Serena Williams in the 2021 biopic King Richard.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Rock declined to file a report on the incident.
