Will Smith promised fans he and Chris Rock would 'be friends again' after the Oscars slap.
Will Smith smacked Chris Rock three hours into the 2022 Oscars while he was presenting the best documentary feature. Smith apologized after the incident.
"And, you know, if you hang on, I promise we'll be able to be friends again," Smith promised supporters in a July 2022 YouTube video.
Rock kept quiet until he vented in his Netflix comedy special "Selective Outrage.""I've always supported Will Smith," Rock stated. "And now, I watch 'Emancipation' just to see him get whooped."
They worked together on a 1995 episode of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and 1999's "Torrance Rises" mockumentary.
Rock and Pinkett Smith worked on "Madagascar" afterwards.According to a psychotherapist, friendships are complicated, and their breakup is not always blamed.
Dr. Frederick Smith, a 15-year mental health professional, told Insider what causes friendship breakups, how to handle them, and when to give up.
Smith said there are many reasons a friendship may fail, but sometimes we have to take responsibility.
Smith said moving cities and having different values can strain friendships. Smith and Rock felt degraded the night of the slap. Smith advised tracing the anger's origin.
"Was the anger you felt toward the person related to them or something they did?" Smith stated.
"Or is it something else that was going on, and you took your anger out on that person?"