One week removed from the incident, Chelsea Handler has commented on the Oscars slap dealt to Chris Rock courtesy of Will Smith. At the event, which saw Smith take the Oscar for King Richard later that night, the Best Lead Actor winner smacked Rock on the face for telling a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. The situation has generated a lot of discussion with other Hollywood stars having their own opinions on what happened.

For Handler, it was difficult watching her friend and fellow comedian getting attacked on stage. Speaking about the incident while at the Grammys, Handler tells Variety that she was impressed with how Rock handled the situation, moving on with his duties for the night as best he could despite being visibly flustered. She also appreciates how Rock has been largely keeping quiet about the ordeal. As Handler explains:

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Rock has barely spoken about the incident, only referring to what happened in passing at the start of a stand-up comedy show in Boston. The comic said he was still “processing” what happened and didn’t have anything else to add at this time. While there were reports of Diddy claiming Rock and Will Smith had patched things up, subsequent reports have suggested that to not be the case.

Chris Rock Has Stayed Quiet After Will Smith’s Apology

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One big source of controversy stems from Will Smith accepting his Oscar that night with no immediate consequences for attacking Chris Rock. During his acceptance speech, the actor apologized to his fellow nominees and to the Academy, but noticably did not apologize to Rock, the person he had attacked. The next day, Smith posted an apology to Instagram, noting that his actions were inexcusable. Smith has since also announced that he has resigned from the Academy.

“My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable,” Smith said. “The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home.”

The actor added, “I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.”