Not everyone is buying Will Smith’s apology video as a Hollywood insider hits out at the actor, calling his new video “staged.”
Will Smith broke his silence with an emotional apology to Chris Rock and his supporters for the slap that will live in infamy.
The 53-year-old actor said he is deeply remorseful in a video in which he directly responds to questions about why he assaulted Chris Rock on stage at the 94th Academy Awards in March.
Smith faced public backlash from fans and colleagues for slapping and yelling at the Academy Award presenter Chris Rock.
The comedian made a joke comparing Jada Pinkett Smith’s haircut to Demi Moore’s character in the movie G.I. Jane.
Smith resigned from the Academy after they launched an investigation into the incident.
The actor, who picked up his first Academy Award for Best Actor that night, was banned from attending all Academy functions, including the Oscars, for a decade.
Will Smith’s apology is ‘too late’ an insider says
A Hollywood comedy insider says the I am Legend actor’s apology is “too little, too late,” speculating that the video was orchestrated.
“He didn’t do this from the goodness of his heart,” the insider said to PageSix, continuing, “Will has realized he is not as popular as he used to be, that the furor of ‘the slap’ is not going away, and he really has done lasting damage to his career.”
The insider recalls that Smith was seen partying at an Oscar after-party after assaulting Chris Rock.
“People just don’t forget that Will Smith assaulted someone on national television, then went out and partied like a rock star at the Vanity Fair party.”
In the apology video, Smith said he reached out to Chris Rock but the Everybody Hates Chris star was “not ready to talk.” He also apologized to Chris’s brother Tony Rock, revealing they once had a close relationship.
Will Smith accused of ‘staging’ apology video
The Hollywood insider claims that the apology video “looks like it was staged by a team of therapists and publicists,” when speaking to PageSix, adding that, “Even the set looks like a bad psychiatrist’s office. It seems disingenuous.”
“But the message appears to be clear to everyone in comedy — Will still needs a lot more therapy,” the person claimed.
Following the Oscar slap, numerous comedians rallied around Chris Rock, some fearing Smith’s violence would lead to copycat attacks.
Not long after the Oscars, it appeared their fears were warranted, as Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage in May during a Hollywood Bowl performance.
Dave and Chris later spoke about their respective assaults on stage, joining forces to turn their shared experience into comedy.