It's been a couple of months since Will Smith shocked the world in a moment of fury at the Oscars.
The King Richard star stormed on stage during the Academy Awards ceremony and slapped comedian Chris Rock across the face after he poked fun at his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Smith's now-infamous slap was broadcast around the world and sparked a media storm. The controversy was only added to by the fact that Smith was back on stage moments after his altercation with Rock – this time to collect the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Watch Rock's joke fail to land and then land him a slap below:In the wake of the dramatic ceremony, Smith issued a public apology and withdrew from the limelight. However, now, one of his friends – fellow actor and comedian Kevin Hart – has revealed how he is coping in the aftermath of the scandal.
At the premiere for his new animated movie, DC League of Super-Pets, Hart revealed that Smith is "in a better space".
"Will is apologetic, you know, he’s in a better space, of course, than what he was after [the Oscars]," Hart told Entertainment Tonight.
"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," the Jumanji star added.
As for whether he's managed to patch things up with Rock, Hart was vague, saying: "I can get only hope that the two of them find a way to find some solace in that and move past it."
"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," he concluded.
Hart isn't the only person who's been optimistic about Smith's future recently. In an interview with Ebony, Smith's Bad Boys co-star, Martin Lawrence, said it looked likely that the disgraced actor would be able to return for the fourth instalment in the cop-buddy franchise.
"We got one more at least," he told the outlet.