While accepting his Oscar for Best Actor, Will Smith apologized to the Academy and to his fellow nominees for striking presenter Chris Rock on the stage of the Dolby Theatre.
Smith did not directly apologize to Rock, but he made a comparison to his character Richard Williams in “King Richard” by saying that the father of Venus and Serena Williams was a “fierce defender of his family.”
“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.