FACT CHECK: No, Chris Rock Did Not Issue This Statement Of Apology To Jada Pinkett Smith And Will Smith

A post shared on Facebook allegedly contains a message from comedian Chris Rock apologizing to actor Will Smith and his family for a joke he made during the Academy Awards.

Verdict: False

Rock did not author the statement, which was actually written by a podcaster.

Fact Check:

Jada Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia, was the focus of a “G.I. Jane” joke made by Rock as he was presenting the “Best Documentary” category at the March 27 Academy Awards, CNN reported. Will Smith, the husband of Jada Pinkett Smith, walked on stage and struck Rock in the face in response to the joke before returning to his seat, the outlet reported. The actor apologized to Rock in an Instagram post the next day.

The Facebook post, uploaded March 28, allegedly quotes an apology from Rock about making the joke. “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,” reads the alleged statement.

The purported statement, however, has not appeared on Rock’s website or social media accounts. Likewise, there are no news reports confirming Rock authored the post or offered an apology to the Smiths for his joke as of press time.

“The Actual Podcast” host Cris Cris tweeted March 28 that he had authored the statement, displaying a photo of his Facebook post where it first appeared publicly. (RELATED: Does This Picture Show Nicole Kidman Reacting To Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock At The Oscars?)

“Out of concern-I decided to draft a response to last night’s #Oscars altercation from the perspective of my namesake, and a few short hours later. VIRAL,” Cris stated.

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