Jada Pinkett Smith revealed to People magazine that she has not spoken to Chris Rock for the reason that evening of the 2022 Oscars, when Will Smith slapped Rock throughout the face after the comic made a joke about Jada’s bald head onstage. Rock’s joke was divisive due to Jada’s alopecia.
“No, I haven’t talked to Chris…[Do I have] any need to speak to Chris? Right here’s my need: I simply hope that every one the misunderstanding round this may be cleared up and that there will be peace,” Jada advised the publication.
Was she offended by Rock’s joke? “I imply, that’s what comedians do,” Jada mentioned. “I’d simply must say that I’m not actually right here to make any judgment on how individuals determine to precise themselves and categorical their artwork. I’ll say that a number of occasions I’ve had my emotions harm, for certain. I’ve had my emotions harm so much by Chris. However on the finish of the day, too, being within the highlight, it comes with the territory.”
Whereas Chris Rock and Jada haven’t spoken for the reason that evening of the 2022 Oscars, Jada did reveal for the primary time that Rock went off the stage and went as much as her instantly after the slap.
“Chris got here right down to the tip of the stage and tried to apologize to me,” Jada mentioned. “He mentioned, ‘I didn’t imply you any hurt.’ I mentioned, ‘I can’t speak about this now, Chris. That is some previous shit.’ I assumed this was [about] the Oscar 2016 and… their stuff that that they had earlier than I even got here into the image within the late ‘80s. I’ve bought to depart that to Will and Chris to speak about, however they bought their stuff for certain.”
For Jada, the 2016 Oscars appeared to play into the 2022 Oscars slap. Again in 2016, Jada publicly protested the Academy Awards ceremony amid the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, wherein the awards didn’t nominate a single particular person of coloration within the 4 performing classes. Rock was the host that yr (and even made a Jada protest joke in his monologue), and Jada mentioned he may’ve been offended by her feedback in opposition to the ceremony.
“There may be some misunderstanding between Chris and I so far as the 2016 Oscars. I feel that he may’ve taken offense, which I meant no hurt in offending,” Jada mentioned. “That wasn’t my intention. However I do suppose that there’s a giant misunderstanding there.”
“I most likely ought to have referred to as him and gone, ‘Hey, are you okay? And simply know that though I’m talking out concerning the Oscars, I do want you the very best and I simply need you to know that,’” Jada added, noting that she ought to’ve taken the time to the touch base with him since he was internet hosting. “His emotions may’ve been harm.”
The 2 of them did converse after the 2016 Oscars. “He apologized and I apologized to him as nicely,” Jada mentioned. “So I really thought that we have been good, that the hatchet was buried between us. And we hadn’t talked since then, till 2022 got here.”
Jada additionally revealed that Rock as soon as reached out to ask her to go on a date whereas rumors have been circulating about her doable divorce from Will.
“I feel each summer season all of the studies would come out that me and Will have been getting a divorce,” Jada mentioned. “And this specific summer season, Chris, he thought that we have been getting a divorce. So he referred to as me and principally he was like, ‘I’d like to take you out.’ And I used to be like, ‘What do you imply?’ He was like, ‘Effectively, aren’t you and Will getting a divorce?’ I used to be like, ‘No. Chris, these are simply rumors.’ He was appalled. And he profusely apologized and that was that.”
Jada and Will aren’t divorced, however she did not too long ago reveal that they’ve been secretly separated for the final seven years. Six of these years pre-dated the Oscars slap, which Jada initially thought was a skit within the second.
“I assumed, ‘It is a skit,’” Jada mentioned. “I used to be like, ‘There’s no method that Will hit him.’ It wasn’t till Will began to stroll again to his chair that I even realized it wasn’t a skit.”
Jada’s new memoir, “Worthy,” shall be launched on Oct. 17.
