Will Smith apologises to Chris Rock over Oscars slap

LOS ANGELES (AFP, REUTERS) - Actor Will Smith apologised on Monday (March 28) to Chris Rock for hitting the comedian during the live broadcast of the glitzy Oscar ceremony in Hollywood.

"I would like to publicly apologise to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be," the winner of the best actor Oscar wrote on Instagram.

Smith strode on stage during the live telecast on Sunday and struck Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about the appearance of Smith's wife Jada. Less than an hour later, Smith won best actor for his role in King Richard.

Meanwhile, the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences has launched a "formal review" of the shocking moment.

"The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night's show," the Academy said in a statement to AFP.

"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."