Slap

Will Smith apologises to Chris Rock after Oscars slap

"I would like to publicly apologise to you, Chris," he said in a statement. "I was out of line and I was wrong."

It comes after the Oscars film academy condemned Smith over the incident and announced a formal review.

The star slapped Rock in the face on stage after the comic made a joke about the actor's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Rock had taken aim at Pinkett Smith's shaved head, a result of the hair-loss condition alopecia.

Will Smith hits Chris Rock on Oscars stage

Referring to Pinkett Smith's shaved hairdo, Rock said: "Jada, can't wait for GI Jane 2."

Smith walked up on stage and appeared to strike Rock before returning to his seat and shouting: "Keep my wife's name out of your... mouth."

Smith later apologised in a tearful best actor acceptance speech.

"I want to apologise to the Academy. I want to apologise to my all my fellow nominees," Smith said after winning the first Oscar of his career for playing the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams in King Richard.