Will Smith making amends with Chris Rock with help of Dave Chappelle?Will Smith seemingly trying to fix strained bond with will smith and chris rock with help of Dave Chappelle
Will Smith is seemingly trying to fix his strained relationship with Chris Rock following the Oscars slap gate.
The King Richard star appeared to have extended an olive branch to Dave Chappelle, who is a close friend of the Everybody Hates Chris star and was critical of Smith for slapping Rock.
Smith invited Chappelle to a special movie screening of his upcoming film, Emancipation, along with Rihanna and ASAP Rocky.
Following this, fans have been speculating that Smith is trying to make amends with Rock with help of Chappelle.
Chappelle was one of the celebrities who criticized Smith for slapping Rock over a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith during the 2022 Academy Awards.
According to Daily Mail, Chappelle said, “Will did the impression of a perfect person for 30 years, and he ripped his mask off and showed us he was as ugly as the rest of us.
“Whatever the consequences are … I hope he doesn’t put his mask back on again and lets his real face breathe. I see myself in both men,” he added.
Now, the Spanish media outlet claimed that if Smith has fixed his bond with Chappelle, the possibility of Rock forgiving him has increased.
Chris Rock has described Will Smith’s attempts to apologise for slapping him at the Oscars as a “hostage video”.
Speaking at the latest of his joint gigs with fellow comic Dave Chappelle, Rock referred to Smith’s July YouTube post offering contrition for his attack.
“Fuck your hostage video,” said Rock, who also referred to the actor as “Suge Smith” – a comparison to the notorious, currently imprisoned Death Row Records executive Suge Knight.
Rock told the audience at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool that Smith had impersonated “a perfect man for 30 years” before revealing he was “just as ugly as the rest of us”.
This marks the first time Rock has spoken out about Smith at any length on or off stage.
“I was fogged out by that point,” Smith says. “It’s all fuzzy. I’ve reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk and when he is, he will reach out. So I will say to you Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you are ready to talk.”
CNN has reached out to representatives for Rock for comment.
“We had a great relationship,” Smith says. “Tony Rock was my man and this is probably irreparable.”
Smith walked on stage at the Oscars and slapped Chris Rock, who was presenting at the time, after he made a joke about Smith’s wife’s shaved head.
Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images
Pinkett Smith suffers hair loss due to alopecia, an autoimmune condition that can lead to hair loss.
He also apologizes to her, their children, and his fellow Academy Award nominees in the post.
“I’m not going to try to unpack all of that right now, but I can say to all of you, there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment,” he says. “There’s no part of me that thinks that is the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults.”
Smith adds that it hurts him to know that he didn’t live up to the image people had of him.
“Disappointing people is my central trauma,” he says.” I hate when I let people down so it hurts.”
Smith directs a message to his supporters, saying he’s committed “to putting light and love and joy into the world.”
“If you hang on I promise we’ll be able to be friends again,” he concludes.
The Academy has sanctioned Smith by banning him from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years.
“Chris, I apologise to you. My behaviour was unacceptable,” he said.
“I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
Smith has previously only issued written statements about the altercation. In the video, on his own YouTube channel, he answers questions that appear to be written by fans.
He reads out out the questions himself, addressing the camera directly.
Chris Rock and Will Smith
Smith smacked Rock after the comic made a joke about the actor’s wife Jada
“I spent the last three months replaying and understanding the nuances and the complexities of what happened in that moment,” the actor said.
“I wasn’t thinking about how many people got hurt in that moment… There is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment.”
“I want to say sorry to my kids and my family for the heat that I brought on all of us.”
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith at the Vanity Fair Oscars party
Rock had taken aim at Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, a result of the hair-loss condition alopecia.
Pinkett Smith spoke last month saying it was her “deepest hope” that her husband and Rock could “reconcile” after the incident.
She had previously posted on her social media after the slap that it was a “season for healing”.
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Smith also apologised to his fellow nominees at the Oscars ceremony.
“You know, this is a community, it’s like I won because you voted for me. It really breaks my heart to have stolen and tarnished your moment.”
