Chris Rock isn’t planning on getting in touch with Will Smith following his groveling apology video, it has been claimed.
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air actor left the world shocked when he stormed on stage at the Oscars earlier this year and slapped the comedian, over a joke regarding Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair.
Last week, he spoke out in a lengthy YouTube clip last week, apologizing for his behavior at the ceremony and stating that he had reached out to the Everybody Hates Chris star – but was told that he ‘wasn’t ready to talk’.
Chris was spotted out in New York this week after continuing to make jokes about the slap while on stage at his latest comedy show.
The star kept a low profile as he hit the streets, donning a baseball cap and sunglasses for the stroll.
He opted for a long-sleeved pale green top and tracksuit bottoms, paired with white strainers and huge headphones.
It was claimed that he isn’t planning on following up with the Oscar-winner any time soon, following the public apology.
‘Chris has no plans to reach out to Will’, an insider told ET Online. ‘He [Will] needs the public’s forgiveness, not Chris.’
Will made headlines across the globe in March when he confronted Chris over a joke he made regarding Jada’s buzzcut, comparing her to ‘GI Jane’.
The Scream 2 actress has previously been open about her struggles with alopecia and appeared visibly unimpressed with the quip.
Her partner eventually returned to his seat after smacking the presenter but yelled that he should ‘keep my wife’s name out of your f**king mouth’.
Following the incident, he issued an apology on Instagram and resigned from the Academy, and was later banned from attending any of their events for a decade.
Three months after the slap, he released the lengthy YouTube video in which he spoke candidly about what happened and said sorry to those impacted, including Jada and their family.
Reflecting on why he didn’t apologize to Chris in his winning Oscar speech, he said: ‘I was fogged out by that point. It’s all fuzzy.
‘I’ve reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk and when he is, he’ll reach out.
‘I will say to you Chris, I apologize to you, my behavior was unacceptable, and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.’
Will also directed his comments to Chris’ family, after his mom shared her anger at the situation, and said that it was like he had slapped her in that moment.
‘I spent the last three months replaying and understanding the nuances and the complexities of what happened in that moment, and I’m not going to try to unpack all of that right now,’ he added.
‘But I can say to all of you – there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment.
‘There is no part of me that thinks that’s the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Chris for a comment.
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