"Get my wife's name out of your f****** mouth" screamed Will Smith to Chris Rock in one of the most awkward moments in Oscars history. Video / TVNZ
Four months after the controversial slap that rocked Hollywood, actor Kevin Hart has shared an update on Will Smith and his mental state.
Smith famously slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars award ceremony, following Rock's joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith and her alopecia.
Hart, who is a close personal friend of the Smith family, was speaking to Entertainment Tonight at the premiere of his new movie DC League of Super-Pets, and revealed just how Smith is coping.
"Will is apologetic, you know, he's in a better space, of course, than what he was after [the slapping incident]," he said on the red carpet.
"People are human, and as humans sometimes we make mistakes. So it's not about talking about the past, it's about acknowledging the present and doing your best to move forward."
Hart went on to share that he hopes his two friends, Rock and Smith, can "move past" the incident and wishes nothing but the best for both parties.
"I only hope that the two of them find a way to find some solace in that and move past it," he said. "I just like good energy. I love to see people be the best."
He added: "I still love him, I still love Chris, and, you know, you can't judge a person by one thing. Ultimately, life goes on and people grow, so give him the opportunity to do so."
Will Smith slaps Chris Rock onstage during the show at the 94th Academy Awards. Photo / Getty Images
While Smith has remained largely silent apart from a social media apology, Pinkett Smith addressed the slap on an episode of Red Table Talk last month. She expressed her desire for Rock and her husband to "reconcile" and "heal".
"Now about Oscar night, my deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile," she said.
"The state of the world today, we need them both. And we all actually need one another more than ever. Until then, Will and I are continuing to do what we have done for the last 28 years, and let's keep figuring out this thing called life together. Thank you for listening."
The attack and fallout shocked the world and left many confused when Smith took the stage less than an hour later to accept his Oscar for Best Actor. He made a tearful apology to the Academy at the time but failed to mention Rock.
Following the event, Smith was banned from attending any Academy Award events for the next 10 years following the incident. However, the punishment came after the actor resigned from the Academy.
