‘The View’ Hosts Praise Will Smith’s Apology to Chris Rock: ‘It’s Very Important for Us to Believe in Redemption’ (Video)

“I take people’s apology seriously,” Whoopi Goldberg said

After sternly condemning Will Smith’s actions at the Oscars on Monday, the hosts of “The View” were pretty pleased with the actor’s apology on Tuesday.

Smith publicly apologized on Monday for storming on stage and slapping Chris Rock, after Rock made a joke at the expense of Jada Pinkett Smith. Will Smith’s statement read in part, “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.”

Moderator Whoopi Goldberg was the first to weigh in on Smith’s words, noting that even though some people brush off celebrity apologies, she never does.

“Apologies are important,” Whoopi said. “There are people who use them as cards. I’m not sure that that’s what he was doing. I accept what he said, because I know how important it is to have people say, ‘I hear you.’ So I heard you. And I’m glad you did it.”

Host Sunny Hostin, who was one of the harshest on Smith on the panel, agreed with Whoopi, but maintained that she wants to see concrete actions taken.

“I realize that that maybe he needs more therapy, maybe he needs more introspection,” Hostin said. “I also, though, think that there has to be consequences to this. I’m thrilled that he apologized to Chris. I think that was really necessary. It was really necessary publicly. And I, like you Whoopi, will take someone’s apology. I think it’s very important for us to believe in redemption, right? Not necessarily cancel culture but consequence culture. So I do wonder what happens next.”

You can watch the full segment from “The View” in the video above.

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