Will Smith has apologized to Chris Rock after striking him at the 94th Academy Awards.
The 53-year-old actor left the world stunned as he darted out of his seat at the Oscars to strike the 57-year-old comic after the latter appeared to make a joke about his wife Jade Pinkett Smith's shaved head.
Now, nearly a full day after last night's dramatic events, Smith has taken to Instagram to write: "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."
Smith concluded his post: "I am a work in progress."
Pinkett Smith has previously spoken about being diagnosed with alopecia - an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss.
And when Rock, presenting the award for best documentary, joked: "Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can't wait to see it," Pinkett Smith could be seen rolling her eyes, while her husband, Smith, appeared to initially laugh at the gag.
The situation then took an unexpected turn when the Independence Day star suddenly launched onto the stage and slapped the funnyman, who responded in shock, saying: "Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me."
Smith then repeatedly told Rock to "leave my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth."
Following the onstage altercation, watched by millions around the world, the LAPD has confirmed that Rock has declined to file a police report.
The department said in a statement per CNN:
"LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program. The incident involved one individual slapping another.
"The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report."
After his altercation with Rock, Smith was awarded the coveted gong for best actor for his role as Richard Williams, the father of tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams, in King Richard.
Appearing to reference the dramatic encounter, he said: "I wanna apologize to the Academy and to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I’m crying for winning an award. It’s not about winning an award for me it’s about being able to shine a light on all of the people, the entire cast and crew."
He added, wiping away tears: "Art imitates life! I looked like the crazy father, just like they said. But love will make you do crazy things."
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