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Will Smith remains 'apologetic' after Oscars slap, says Kevin Hart

Will stormed the stage and slapped Chris Rock

Rebecca Lewis
Rebecca Lewis - Los Angeles
Los Angeles correspondentLos Angeles
July 14, 2022
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Will Smith is in a "better space" after his physical attack against Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. Friend Kevin Hart shared that Will remains"apologetic" and said that he hopes the two of them "find a way to find some solace".

 MORE: Where is Will Smith? - Three months on from Chris Rock Oscars slap

"Will is apologetic, you know, he's in a better space, of course, than what he was after," said Kevin. "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."

WATCH: Will Smith assaults Chris Rock at 2022 Oscars

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, 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 has remained out of the spotlight since March when he slapped Chris live on air in the middle of the telecast.

MORE: Chris Rock makes huge career announcement after Will Smith Oscars altercation

MORE: Tyler Perry reveals Will Smith's reaction after slapping Chris Rock 

Chris made an off-color joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's hair loss and Will stormed the stage and told him to "keep my wife's name out of your [expletive] mouth".

He later admitted he was wrong and said in a statement: "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong."

will smith slap chris rock

Will slapped Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife Jada-Pinkett's alopecia

He added: "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable.

"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."

Since then, he has publicly apologized to the Academy and to Chris, following it up with a resignation from the Academy, who banned him from any of their events for the next ten years.

will smith family

Will has been supported by his family in the Oscars aftermath 

Jada also broke her silence over the matter while continuing her appearances on Red Table Talk.

"About Oscar night," she stated. "My deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile.

"With the state of the world today, we need 'em both, and we all actually need one another more than ever."

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