Oscars co-host Wanda Sykes has given the behind-the-scenes scoop on Chris Rock's reaction to being slapped by Will Smith.
After the comedian made a joke about Smith's wife at the Awards ceremony on Sunday, the actor marched on stage and hit him across the face in a now-infamous moment that was broadcast live around the world.
Now Sykes - who hosted the ceremony alongside fellow actors Regina Hall and Amy Schumer - has opened up about the incident on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, claiming that Rock's initial reaction was to apologize.
She explained that she saw him at the afterparty, where" "the first thing he said was: 'I’m so sorry.'"
"And I’m like, 'Why are you apologizing?'" Sykes recalled. "And he’s like, 'It was supposed to be your night. You and Amy and Regina, y’all were doing such a great job. I’m so sorry. This is now going to be about this.'"
Smith shocked the world on Sunday night with his outburst, which was prompted by a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
While preparing to present the award for Best Documentary, Rock quipped that Pinkett Smith might be set to appear in the new GI Jane movie because of her closely cropped hairstyle. Pinkett Smith - who has alopecia - rolled her eyes at the gag. Moments later, her husband charged on stage and hit Rock hard across the face.
As Smith returned to his seat, Rock tried to diffuse the situation. But the actor wouldn't let it go, and yelled at him from the audience to "keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth."
Unsurprisingly, the jaw-dropping moment was all people could talk about after the ceremony. During her appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show, Sykes spoke about how the assault had overshadowed other people's hard work and achievements.
"It was sickening. I physically felt ill, and I’m still a little traumatized by it," she said, adding that: "For them to let him stay in that room and enjoy the rest of the show and accept his award, I was like, 'How gross is this? This is just the wrong message.'"

Although Smith has since apologized to Rock, Sykes said she felt that she and her co-hosts were also owed an apology. "No one has apologized to us," she said, adding: "We worked really hard to put that show together — so I'm like, what the hell is this?"