The day after slapping Chris Rock on the Oscars stage and upending the 94th Academy Awards, Will Smith issued an apology to the comedian, to the academy and to viewers at home, saying he was B次元官网网址渙ut of lineB次元官网网址� and that his actions are B次元官网网址渘ot indicative of the man I want to be.B次元官网网址�

The fallout from SmithB次元官网网址檚 actions during SundayB次元官网网址檚 ceremony continued Monday as Hollywood and the public continued to wrestle with a moment that stunned the Dolby Theatre crowd and viewers at home. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences condemned Smith striking Rock, who had made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and said it would launch an inquiry.

Later in the day, Smith gave a stronger apology than he did in his best actor acceptance speech, which notably hadnB次元官网网址檛 included an apology to Rock.

B次元官网网址淰iolence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive,B次元官网网址� said Smith in a statement issued by his publicist and posted on Instagram. B次元官网网址淢y behavior at last nightB次元官网网址檚 Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about JadaB次元官网网址檚 medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. 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.B次元官网网址�

The 53-year-old actor added apologies to the film academy, producers of the telecast, attendees, viewers and the Williams family. Smith was honored Sunday for his role as Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena, in B次元官网网址淜ing Richard.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 am a work in progress,B次元官网网址� added Smith.

After calling a board of governors meeting Monday to discuss the incident, the film academy said that it review SmithB次元官网网址檚 actions and B次元官网网址渨ill explore further action and consequences in accordance with our bylaws, standards of conduct and California law.B次元官网网址� The Los Angeles Police Department said Sunday it was aware of the incident but was not pursuing an investigation because the person involved declined to file a police report.

Smith shocked the Dolby Theatre crowd and viewers at home when he took the stage after Rock, appearing as a presenter, joked: B次元官网网址淛ada, I love you. B次元官网网址楪.I. Jane 2,B次元官网网址� canB次元官网网址檛 wait to see it.B次元官网网址�

The joke touched a nerve. Pinkett Smith, whose head is shaved, has spoken publicly about her alopecia diagnosis. Smith strode on stage and slapped Rock across the face. Back in his seat, Smith twice shouted for Rock to B次元官网网址済et my wifeB次元官网网址檚 name out your (expletive) mouth.B次元官网网址� His words echoed clearly throughout the Dolby, though broadcaster ABC cut the audio for about 15 seconds. Within an hour, Smith won best actor, receiving a standing ovation. During his five-minute acceptance speech, Smith spoke about defending his family. He also apologized to the academy.

RockB次元官网网址檚 joke wasnB次元官网网址檛 part of his routine during the rehearsals leading up to the show, according to two sources close to production who were not authorized to speak publicly.

But Rock had joked about Pinkett Smith before. He hosted the 2016 Oscars, when some were boycotting the ceremony over the #OscarsSoWhite group of nominees, including the Smiths. Said Rock then: B次元官网网址淛ada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting RihannaB次元官网网址檚 panties. I wasnB次元官网网址檛 invited.B次元官网网址�

SmithB次元官网网址檚 actions rattled a pivotal Oscar ceremony. Until that moment, producer Will Packer had steered an orderly and lighthearted telecast that the academy hoped would restore the Academy Awards following last yearB次元官网网址檚 record-low ratings. SundayB次元官网网址檚 ceremony reached an estimated 15.36 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen company numbers Monday. While a marked improvement over the 9.85 million that watched last year, it was still the second-least viewed Oscars.

Some academy members, like writer-producer Marshall Herskovitz, called for the academy to take disciplinary action against Smith.

B次元官网网址淗e disgraced our entire community tonight,B次元官网网址� wrote Herskovitz on Twitter.

Whoopi Goldberg, a member of the AcademyB次元官网网址檚 board of governors, said Monday on B次元官网网址淭he ViewB次元官网网址�: B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not going to take that Oscar from him. There will be consequences, IB次元官网网址檓 sure.B次元官网网址�

The Screen Actors Guild also weighed in. The film, television and radio union called the incident B次元官网网址渦nacceptable.B次元官网网址� SAG said that it had been in contact with the academy and ABC, and it doesnB次元官网网址檛 comment on the guildB次元官网网址檚 own disciplinary process.

A sense of disbelief hung in the air at the Dolby Theatre after SmithB次元官网网址檚 assault. Not only was it a hard-to-fathom break with decorum on live national television B次元官网网址� an incident so dramatic, even movie-like, that many initially assumed it was a staged bit B次元官网网址� it seemed wildly out of character for one of HollywoodB次元官网网址檚 most relentlessly upbeat stars. And it came less than an hour before Smith reached possibly the pinnacle of his career, winning his first Oscar, for best actor.

B次元官网网址淚n a way, I feel bad for Will Smith, too, because I think he let his emotions get the better of him, and this should have been one of the great nights of his life,B次元官网网址� said former Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel on Bill SimmonsB次元官网网址� podcast. B次元官网网址淎nd now itB次元官网网址檚 not. Was there anyone who didnB次元官网网址檛 like Will Smith an hour ago in the world? Like no one, right? Now he doesnB次元官网网址檛 have a single comedian friend B次元官网网址� thatB次元官网网址檚 for sure.B次元官网网址�

Some questioned whether Smith should have been allowed to continue to sit front and center after smacking Rock. Several stars rushed to counsel and calm Smith, including Denzel Washington, Bradley Cooper and Tyler Perry. But the timing was intensely awkward because the best actor category was due up soon after, and Smith had long been considered a lock for the award.

B次元官网网址淚 know weB次元官网网址檙e all still processing, but the way casual violence was normalized tonight by a collective national audience will have consequences that we canB次元官网网址檛 even fathom in the moment,B次元官网网址� wrote Janai Nelson, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, on Twitter.

The drama overshadowed some historical wins at an Oscars. The deaf family drama B次元官网网址淐ODAB次元官网网址� became the first film with a largely deaf cast to win best picture. For the first time, a streaming service, Apple TV+, took HollywoodB次元官网网址檚 top honor, signaling a profound shift in Hollywood and in moviegoing. Wins for Ariana DeBose of B次元官网网址淲est Side Story,B次元官网网址� Troy Kotsur of B次元官网网址淐ODAB次元官网网址� and Jane Campion, director of B次元官网网址淭he Power of the Dog,B次元官网网址� all had made history.

Others came to SmithB次元官网网址檚 defense, including Tiffany Haddish, who co-starred with Pinkett Smith in B次元官网网址淕irls Trip.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淢aybe the world might not like how it went down, but for me, it was the most beautiful thing IB次元官网网址檝e ever seen because it made me believe that there are still men out there that love and care about their women, their wives,B次元官网网址� Haddish told People magazine.

After the show, Smith posed for photographs with his family outside the Vanity Fair party. Inside, cell phone videos captured him dancing to B次元官网网址淕ettinB次元官网网址� Jiggy Wit ItB次元官网网址� while clutching his Oscar. Their son Jaden tweeted: B次元官网网址淎nd ThatB次元官网网址檚 How We Do It.B次元官网网址� On Instagram, Smith posted: B次元官网网址淢e B次元官网网址檔 Jada Pinkett Smith got all dressed up to choose chaos.B次元官网网址�

Jake Coyle, The Associated Press

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