He added, “But I also don’t mind being transparent and say that this was a very painful moment for me. On many levels.”
On Sunday night, Smith apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees but not to Rock for his outburst while accepting the Best Actor Oscar for his performance as tennis coach Richard Williams in King Richard. “I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees,” Smith said with tears in his eyes. “This is a beautiful moment and I’m not crying for winning an award, it’s not about winning an award for me.”
Comparing himself to the “crazy father” in the Venus and Serena Williams biopic, he added, “Love will make you do crazy things.”
Following the awards ceremony, the Academy released a statement saying that it “does not condone violence of any form.”
In a separate statement to E! News on March 28, the Academy said it “condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show,” adding that Oscars officials have “started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”
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