As the dust settles on the 94th Academy Awards and the one incident that grabbed the headlines, Will Smith has issued a public apology to ceremony host Chris Rock for his actions last night. Taking to his Instagram almost 24 hours after what has been called “the slap heard around the world,” Smith wrote at length an explanation of the moment that saw him “act emotionally” and admitted that he “deeply” regrets his behavior.
The post reads:
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. 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.
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. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.
I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.
I am a work in progress.
Sincerely,
Will”
The Fallout of Will Smith’s Oscars Slap Could Still Have Consequences for The Star 
Although Smith apologized for his actions during his acceptance speech on winning Best Actor for King Richard at the ceremony on Sunday night, he did not directly address Chris Rock at the time. Although it has since been reported that Rock declined to press charges, and by some that the pair have since resolved the issue, that does not mean the Academy has had its final say on the matter. After issuing a very basic statement earlier, they updated this later in the day, saying that they would be starting a formal review.
The updated statement read: “The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show. We have officially 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.”
According to one report, while Rock is not pursuing any kind of criminal charges against Smith, he was said to have been left “shaken and bewildered” by the whole event, with sources claiming that Rock didn’t know about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s condition and was simply making a joke about her short hairstyle when he referenced G.I. Jane. Whatever the truth, it certainly delivered a knockout punch to the event, which was already covered in various controversies and will now primarily be remembered for that one moment of madness from Smith. As the Academy decides what action to take, if any, against the first-time Best Actor winner, it looks like we still have not heard the end of the matter by a long shot.