Will Smith Punches Chris Rock on Oscar Stage After Jada Joke: ‘Keep My Wife’s Name Out Your F—ing Mouth’

The awkward moment occurred as Smith won the Oscars for Best Lead Actor. He went on to win the award, and addressed the incident in his speech, apologizing to the Academy but not directly apologizing to Rock.

I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment, and I am not crying for winning an award. It’s not about winning an award for me,” Smith said following a standing ovation. “Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like Richard Williams … but love will make you do crazy things.”

He continued: “I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a rigor to my people. I know to do what we do, you got to be able to take abuse, you have to be able to have people talk crazy about you. You got to be able to have people disrespecting people, and you gotta smile and pretend like that’s OK,” Smith said. “And Denzel said to me a few minutes ago, ‘At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the Devil comes for you.’ I want to be a vessel for love. I want to say, thank you to Venus and Serena … I want to thank them for trusting me with their story. I want to be an ambassador for that kind of love, care and sure.”

Smith concluded his Oscar speech by thanking the Williams family and the Academy and adding, “I’m hoping that the Academy invites me back.”