As you’ve probably heard by now, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on Sunday evening during the Oscars. That scene unfolded after Rock made a bald joke about Smith’s wife, who suffers from alopecia (hair loss due to age, stress, heredity, etc.)

Just minutes after the incident, Smith received the award for best actor to a standing ovation from the crowd. On Monday evening, he finally directly addressed the entirety of the issue, including apologizing to Rock.

BREAKING: Will Smith says his behavior at the Oscars was “unacceptable and inexcusable.” pic.twitter.com/lcKJeUHh9V

— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) March 28, 2022

As apologies go, it’s a good one. He doesn’t equivocate nor does he try to blame Rock for his outlandish behavior. Smith made a mistake, and whether he realizes it because it might cost him something or he’s genuinely regretful, he’s at least saying the right things. Still, there are clearly much deeper issues here than Rock telling a fairly mundane joke.

At the end of the statement, Smith says that he is still a “work in progress.” I’m sure we can all relate to that on some level, but I sincerely hope he recognizes that his “open marriage” has caused him great pain and that it’s a situation that needs to be remedied properly. As long as it persists, he’s always going to face the emotional turmoil he’s so obviously experiencing.