Actor Will Smith on Monday apologized to Chris Rock after slapping the comedian at Sunday night's Oscars ceremony, Reuters reported.
Smith, in a post on Instagram, said his behavior at the televised ceremony was "unacceptable and inexcusable."
"I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris," Smith wrote. "I was out of line and I was wrong."
During Sunday night’s Oscars ceremony, Smith strode on stage and struck Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about the appearance of Smith's wife.
Rock, in a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, referenced the 1997 film "G.I. Jane" in which actress Demi Moore shaved her head. It was unclear whether Rock was aware that Smith's wife has a disease that causes hair loss.
"Jokes at my expense are part of the job, but a joke about Jada's medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally," said Smith, adding, "I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be."
Before Smith’s apology, the 9,900-member Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences condemned Smith's actions and said it was reviewing the matter.
"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," the academy added, according to Reuters.
SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents actors, called Smith's actions "unacceptable" and said it had been in touch with the academy and broadcaster ABC "to ensure this behavior is appropriately addressed."