By Editor
In the lead-up to her upcoming memoir, ‘Worthy,’ actress Jada Pinkett Smith has revealed intriguing insights about her life, including her separation from husband Will Smith since 2016.
During an interview with People, Jada addressed the infamous incident at the 2022 Oscars when Will Smith confronted comedian Chris Rock for a joke aimed at her. She emphasized that it’s a matter between the two men to resolve but acknowledged her history with Chris Rock.
Jada disclosed that on one occasion, during a summer of divorce rumors involving her and Will, Chris asked her out. She explained, “I think every summer, reports would come out that Will and I were getting a divorce. And this particular summer, Chris, he thought that we were getting a divorce. So he called me and basically he was like, ‘I’d love to take you out.’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ He was like, ‘Well, aren’t you and Will getting a divorce?’ I was like, ‘No. Chris, those are just rumors.’ He was appalled. And he profusely apologized, and that was that.”
Although she hasn’t spoken to Chris Rock since the Oscars incident, Jada recounted that he approached her immediately after the slap and apologized for having hurt her feelings. “He said, ‘I didn’t mean you any harm.’ I said, ‘I can’t talk about this now, Chris. This is some old stuff,'” she said. Initially, she believed that he was referring to their earlier disagreement during the 2016 Oscars, which Jada had boycotted in support of the #OscarsSoWhite movement. At that time, Chris Rock, the host, had made a joke about her.
Jada confessed that at first, she thought the slap was part of a ‘skit’ and only realized its reality when Will started walking back toward her from the stage. She explained, “From where I was sitting, I couldn’t tell. It didn’t look like Will hit Chris because, number one, I’d seen Will in the boxing ring with pro fighters — Will’s a heavy-hitter. So when Chris moved, it looked like he ducked or he missed the shot. And when he continued to stand, and then when he continued to walk down to the end of the stage, I was like, ‘There’s no way. There’s no way that Will hit him.'”
As a result of his actions, Will Smith has issued an apology and has been banned from the Academy for 10 years. He received an Oscar for his role in ‘King Richard’ just minutes after the incident and was nominated for another award the previous year for his performance in ‘Emancipation.’
