Will Smith apologised to Chris Rock on Monday for hitting him at the Oscars ceremony, as the organisation in charge of the awards announced a formal investigation into the incident.

Smith, who was won best actor of the night, stormed onto the stage during the lavish Hollywood gala and slammed Rock over a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair.

“Chris, I’d want to officially apologise to you. I was out of line, and I was mistaken. “I’m humiliated, and my actions did not reflect the man I want to be,” “King Richard” said “star posted on Instagram

“Violence, in all of its manifestations, is poisonous and destructive. My conduct at last night’s Academy Awards was both unprofessional and unforgivable “Smith said.

“It’s part of the job to make fun of me, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to stomach, and I responded emotionally.”

Pinkett Smith has alopecia, a disorder that causes hair loss, and wore a severely cut headdress to the event on Sunday.