Will Smith provides a sincere response to fans who are disappointed with him following his assault on Chris Rock at the Oscars. Since his starring role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the 1990s, Smith has been a household name, quickly earning himself a position as one of the most recognizable movie stars working today. Smith most recently starred in King Richard and Bad Boys For Life, but it's his actions during the 94th Academy Awards that have dominated the conversation about him.
After Rock made a joke at the expense of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, the actor took to the stage and slapped the comedian across the face. Smith would go on to win the Oscar for Best Actor for King Richard moments later, but he failed to adequately address the incident in his acceptance speech. Various celebrities, Hollywood personalities, and fans of the actor have since offered their opinions on the incident, with many condemning Smith's violent outburst and expressing disappointment in his actions. The Academy has also weighed in on the matter, banning Smith from the Oscars ceremony for the next 10 years.
Now, in a new video posted to his YouTube channel, Smith takes questions from fans, offering a direct response to those who have expressed disappointment in him. After taking time to apologize directly to Rock and the other Oscars attendees, he expresses sadness that he wasn't able to live up to fans' expectations of him. The actor recognizes that his actions were shocking to many viewers, but affirms his commitment to "putting light and love and joy into the world." Check out Smith's full comment below:
Disappointing people is my central trauma. 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’m trying to do is, I am deeply remorseful, and I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself. Right? I’m human. I made a mistake and I’m trying not to think of myself as a piece of sh-t. So, I would say to those people, I know it was confusing, I know it was shocking, but I promise you that 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 that we’ll be able to be friends again.
While Smith has offered brief statements in the past regarding his actions, this latest video is the first time he's directly addressed the fans and viewers that are disappointed in his slapping of Rock at the Oscars. As Smith suggests, the incident was shocking, with many initially believing that it was some sort of planned comedy bit. Despite Smith's reassuring words, however, many of the most upvoted comments on the video are skeptical of the actor's sincerity. Although Smith's career has been somewhat quiet of late, the actor is still slated to appear in a number of films, including Emancipation, which is directed by Antoine Fuqua.
The Oscars slap happened about four months ago now, but it's clear that, for Smith, the incident is still top-of-mind. It remains to be seen what the larger fan response to his recent apology will be, but it's clear that at least one subset of (former) fans aren't totally buying the Bad Boys star's comments. Smith's stock has certainly taken a hit in the months following the Oscars slap, but the actor seems to be committed to working to repair his reputation, both within Hollywood and with the fans that have turned on him.
Source: Will Smith/YouTube