Will Smith shared a heartfelt video on social media on Friday, directly addressing the moment at the Oscars when he slapped presenter Chris Rock.
In the video, the first time the actor has addressed the incident since his apology post in March, an earnest-looking Smith answers fan questions on the fallout from the slap, which made news around the world.
“Over the last few months, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and personal work. You asked a lot of fair questions that I wanted to take some time to answer,” Smith says at the beginning of the video.
While Rock was presenting an award during the Oscars ceremony, he made a joke about Smith's wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, and her hair.
Smith stormed the stage and slapped Rock across the face before returning to his chair, screaming expletives, in what has become one of the most shocking Oscars moments ever.
One of the first questions Smith answers in the video is why he didn't apologise to Rock during his acceptance speech when he won the Best Actor award.
“I was far down by that point. It’s all fuzzy,” Smith says. “I've reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk. And when he is, he will reach out.”
He then addresses Rock directly: “I apologise to you. My behaviour was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
Smith also apologises to Rock's mother, Rose, who has said that the incident felt as if Smith had slapped her.
“When Will slapped Chris, he slapped all of us, but he really slapped me,” Rose said in an interview with US television station WIS following the incident.
In the video, Smith offers his apologies to Rose and Rock's extended family.
“I wasn’t thinking how many people got hurt in that moment. This is probably irreparable,” he says.
Answering a question about whether or not it was his wife who had asked him to do something, Smith says he “made my the choice on my own from my own experiences with Chris”.
“Jada had nothing to do with it,” he says, and then adds: “I am sorry, babe.”
Smith also apologises to all his fellow nominees and Academy members, saying: “It breaks my heart to have stolen and tarnished your moment. 'I am sorry' isn’t really sufficient.”
To a question about what message he had for fans who used to look up to him, Smith says he's “deeply remorseful”.
“Disappointing people is my central trauma. I hate when I let people down,” he says. “So, it hurts to know that I didn’t live up to people’s image and impression of me. And the work I’m trying to do is that, I’m deeply remorseful. And I am trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself. I am only human.”
He then concludes the video with a promise, that he has become devoted to bettering himself.
“I know it was confusing. I know it was shocking. But I promise you, I am deeply devoted to putting light and love and joy into the world,” he says.
“If you hang on, I promise we will be able to be friends again.”
South Africa squad
Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wicketkeeper), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
TOP 5 DRIVERS 2019
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 10 wins 387 points
2 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 4 wins, 314 points
3 Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 3 wins, 260 points
4 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2 wins, 249 points
5 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1 win, 230 points
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
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Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
PFA Team of the Year: David de Gea, Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Alonso, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Company%20Profile
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Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
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- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
