For the first time since #TheOscarsSlap, we're hearing from Will Smith. The actor broke his silence on the incident in a more than five-minute-long video posted to his YouTube account and issued an apology to Chris Rock. He said, in part, "There's no part of me that thinks that's the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults." At the 2022 Oscars, Smith walked on stage and hit Rock in the face after the comedian joked about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Smith also mentioned that after failed attempts to reach Rock through back channels, he hopes the two can eventually talk things through.

Investment firm Eldridge Industries is set to acquire the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. It has been a tumultuous couple of years for the HFPA, the body responsible for handing out the prestigious Golden Globe Awards after it was called out for its lack of diversity and unethical practices. The acquisition will convert the HFPA into a for-profit organization and establish a non-profit arm. The deal comes after NBC refused to air the 2022 Golden Globe ceremony because of the ongoing controversies.

More than 400 television showrunners and creators have written a letter addressing leadership at major studios like Netflix, Disney, and Discovery demanding policies to protect pregnant workers in anti-abortion states. The group wants to know how the studios will protect access to pregnancy health care, including abortions. It also calls for the companies to stop providing financial support to politicians who hold anti-abortion stances. Ava Duvernay, Issa Rae, and Shonda Rhimes were among some of the creators that have signed the letter. Stay tuned because the signatories have demanded written responses from the companies within 10 days.

Ben Affleck seems to be having another moment as his name tops headlines once again. First, he spun the block on his ex, Jennifer Lopez, from over 20 years ago and married her. Now it's been announced that he will reprise his role as Batman. Jason Momoa made the announcement on social media, telling fans that Affleck will be taking up the cowl again in the Aquaman sequel. The announcement comes as a surprise since Affleck said he was done with the role of Gotham's top vigilante in 2019. Fans will see Affleck as the Caped Crusader twice in 2023 in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and The Flash.

Ana de Armas is still booked and busy herself. The actress appeared in a new trailer playing Marilyn Monroe in the upcoming movie Blonde. The film is an NC-17-rated fictional depiction of the actress and model's life. It's set to debut at the 2022 Venice Film Festival and will premiere on Netflix in September. It seems like de Armas is everywhere these days, so Cheddar News asked actor Chris Evans, who has starred in several projects alongside her, why that is. "She's really good. She's really honest. She makes every scene better, so I just get lucky to stand next to her and let her do the heavy lifting," he said.