Chris Rock is yet to receive a personal apology from Will Smith after the actor stormed on stage and slapped Chris at last year's Oscars, according to one of the comedian's close friends.
58-year-old Chris has finally addressed the controversial incident and admitted the slap "still hurts" during his live Netflix special Selective Outrage.
He made a series of scathing jokes about Will and Jada's marriage during the show, but a source has claimed it could have been avoided with a simple apology from Will.
They said: "Chris never got a one-on-one private apology from Will, only the public one which really meant nothing."
The insider also claimed Chris only spoke out about the incident during his Netflix show so he could come to terms with what happened.
They said: "Chris wanted to get this out once and for all and be done with it. This was very cathartic to him."
The insider also hit back at claims Chris had any say in the timing of his Netflix special, which landed just days before the 2023 Academy Awards.
"Netflix decided when to run this, not Chris," they told the Daily Mail.
Will issued a grovelling public apology shortly after making global headlines for slapping Chris.
"Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behaviour at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable," he began.
"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," Will explained.
"I would like to publicly apologise 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. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness," he continued.
Will also apologised to the Academy and his fellow nominees.
After the slap. Will resigned from the Academy and has been banned from attending for 10 years.
The Oscars return in just a few days for the first time since the slap, with a celebrity PR expert telling The Mirror that the "jaw dropping incident" will be on everyone's minds.
Mayah Riaz, celebrity PR, said: "There is no doubt that the Will Smith slap is a jaw dropping incident. It will always be remembered as the most shocking Oscar moment.
"It can go one of two ways during the ceremony; he will be the butt of all jokes or people will steer clear of mentioning it. The latter will be the best approach for the academy."
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