US actor Chris Rock speaks onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 27, 2022 ( AFP / Robyn Beck)

Fake Chris Rock apologies circulate online

This article is more than one year old.
Published on April 1, 2022 at 19:23
Updated on April 1, 2022 at 20:17
2 min read
By Claire SAVAGE, AFP USA

Alleged statements from Chris Rock apologizing for a joke he made about Jada Pinkett Smith during the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony are circulating on social media. But the apologies for the remark – which prompted a now-famous slap from actor Will Smith – do not appear on Rock's social media accounts, and his publicist said the statements are fake.

During the Oscars ceremony on March 27, 2022 Rock cracked a joke about the hairstyle of actress Pinkett Smith, who suffers from alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss. She is married to "King Richard" star Will Smith, who strode to the stage and slapped Rock across the face in retaliation for the quip.

Social media posts are now circulating claiming to show Rock's apology for the incident.

"As a comedian it can be difficult to understand which lines are to be crossed and which ones aren't," says a March 28, 2022 Facebook post with an image of the comedian.

"I sincerely apologize to my friend's Jada Pinkett-Smith, Will Smith, and the rest of the Smith family for the disrespect and disregard I displayed which was unfortunately broadcast for the world to see," it continued, attributing the statement to Rock.

Screenshot of a Facebook post taken on April 1, 2022

Another more lighthearted post on Facebook appearing to be a screenshot from Rock's verified Twitter account quoted him as saying: "Making light of her struggle with alopecia was perhaps tasteless, so let me just say that I'm sorry. I didn't realize that Will has such a hair-trigger temper, but that doesn't excuse my behavior and that's the bald truth."

Screenshot of a Facebook post taken on April 1, 2022

Searching Rock's Twitter account for the text in the post does not yield results, and the other statement does not appear on his website, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter accounts.

And Rock's publicist, Leslie Sloane, told AFP on March 30, 2022 that neither statement was legitimate. "It's all fake," she said.

Half an hour after he attacked Rock, Smith was awarded the best actor Oscar for his role in "King Richard" -- the movie industry's highest honor for a male performer.

The Academy, the body that hands out the Oscars, said it would hold a vote on what action should be taken against Smith over the globally televised assault, which marred Hollywood's most important evening.

Rock broke his silence on the subject during a stand-up show in Boston on March 30, saying he was "still kind of processing what happened," according to Variety.

"At some point I'll talk about that... and it will be serious and funny," he added.

Will Smith did apologize for his actions on Instagram on March 28, 2022 the day after the event. "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable."

AFP debunked another false claim about the Oscars here.

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