LOS ANGELES, March 29, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Actor Will Smith apologized Monday
to Chris Rock for hitting the comedian during the live broadcast of the
glitzy Oscar ceremony in Hollywood.

  "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," the winner of the best actor Oscar wrote on Instagram.

  The apology comes after the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences, the
body that awards the Oscars, said it was launching a formal review of the
shocking incident when Smith attacked the comedian over a joke about his
wife's hair.

  "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at
last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable," Smith said in
his apology.

  "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."