Will Smith apologizes again for slapping Chris Rock in YouTube video

Will Smith, four months after beating Chris Rock to death on the Oscars stage over an unrelated punchline, has posted a YouTube video where he apologizes and tries explain an inexplicable incident.

Smith on Friday apologized — again — to Rock and Rock’s family, and specifically, the comedian’s younger brother, Tony Rock, who had lit into Smith in a standup appearance in April one week after the slapping incident. “This is probably irreparable,” Smith says, referring to his friendship with Tony Rock.

“There is no part of me that thinks that is the right way to behave in that moment,” Smith says in hindsight. Smith posted an apology on Instagram, March 29. He resigned two days later from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Smith addresses many points that were raised in the aftermath to the March 27th incident. He was then awarded Best Actor shortly afterwards. King RichardThe biopic, which features tennis stars Venus Serena Williams and Serena Williams, in which Richard Williams plays their father.

Smith claims that Jada Pinkett Smith, his wife, didn’t direct him not to confront Rock following a joke about Rock’s hair loss. “After Jada rolled her eyes, did she tell you to do something? No,” Smith says. “I made a choice, on my own, from my own experiences, my history with Chris. Jada had nothing to do with it.”

Smith goes on to apologize to his wife, his family, and the other Academy Award nominees, but also acknowledges that “‘I’m sorry’ really isn’t sufficient.”

“I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself,” Smith says later. “I’m human, and I made a mistake, and … I’m trying not to think of myself as a piece of shit.”

Smith, 53 years old, was removed from Academy events over the following 10 year period after he hit Rock. For now, he remains one of Hollywood’s A-list actors and leading figures. He also won an Oscar. King Richard, Smith was nominated for his roles in 2001’s Ali and 2006’s Happyness: The pursuit of Happiness. He also founded Overbrook Entertainment. King Richard as well as Netflix’s acclaimed Cobra Kai series.