Chris Rock's team has denied that he released an apology statement to Will Smith. Shortly after Smith released a statement apologizing to Rock, a fake apology statement from Rock began circulating online. The Hollywood Reporter's journalist Rebecca Keegan tweeted, “Chris Rock has not yet issued a statement. There is a statement going around purporting to be from Rock that is not from him, per his team. It’s the one that starts, “As a comedian, it can be difficult to understand….”
The false statement read, “As a comedian, it can be difficult to understand which lines are to be crossed and which ones aren’t. Last night I crossed a line that I shouldn’t have and paid the enormous price of my reputation as a renowned comedian.”
The statement continued, “Comedy is never about poking fun at or making lite of people with major ordeals happening in their lives. Comedy is about using real-life circumstances to create laughter and bring light to an otherwise dark world. With that said, I sincerely apologize to my friends 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. I hope that, with time, forgiveness can come of this situation, and we can all be better, more considerate people in the end. – Chris Rock”