Will Smith just apologized directly to Chris Rock, saying slapping Chris was "unacceptable and inexcusable."
Will did not apologize to Chris Sunday night during his Best Actor acceptance speech ... but now he's acknowledging, "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive."
He still tried to justify his anger, saying, "Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally."
TMZ broke the story, contrary to media reports, Chris and Will did not speak Sunday night after the slap. He's chosen to do his mea culpa on Instagram, saying, "I would like to publicly apologize 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. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness."
Souse: tmz