"Chris Rock's cheeks literally saved their marriage?": Jada Pinkett calls Will Smith Oscar slap 'holy,' sparks disbelief

Ever since Jada Pinkett shockingly revealed about her relationship with Will Smith in an interview from October 2023, they have been in the headlines. She acknowledged that since 2016, the two had been quietly splitting up. They do not, however, intend to get a formal divorce.

Amid continuous conversations about her union, Jada Pinkett Smith recently spoke candidly in an interview with the Daily Mail about the widely reported Oscars event where Will slapped Chris Rock, which proved to be a crucial turning point in preserving her marriage. She acknowledged that the incident caused her to seriously consider the future of her relationship with Will Smith.

According to Jada Pinkett Smith, her marriage to Will Smith was spared by the notorious Oscar slap. As per the same source, she said:

“I nearly didn’t even attend the Oscars that year, but I’m glad I did. I call it the ‘holy slap’ now because so many positive things came after it."

It happened right after Will Smith was seen with an unnamed woman on December 9. The pair was also observed having fun with their friends at Lucali Pizza.

After the news of the interview was made public on X (formerly known as Twitter) by @PopCrave, social media users flooded the comment section with their opinions and criticism that clearly showed their disbelief.

Pinkett Smith's recent remark about her relationship with Will garnered criticism from netizens (Image via X / @RamatVictory)

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Netizens react as Jada Pinkett claims Will Smith’s iconic Oscar slap saved their marriage

Jada's recent thoughts on her marriage sparked disbelief among netizens (Image via Facebook / Will Smith / Instagram / jadapinkettsmith)

Amid the recent uproar surrounding her marital difficulties, Jada Pinkett Smith openly acknowledged that the notorious Oscars slap was crucial to keeping her marriage intact.

The 52-year-old admitted that the experience made her consider whether or not she could be with Will Smith going forward. Though they were separated in the past, there seems to be a renewed feeling of clarity now.

Despite earlier rumors regarding their relationship, it appears that the Oscars incident has given them a newfound feeling of closure and understanding. The host of the Red Table Talk show stated, in an interview with the Daily Mail:

“After all those years trying to figure out if I would leave Will’s side, it took that slap for me to see I will never leave him. Who knows where our relationship would be if that hadn’t happened?”

Jada Pinkett, who starred in many movies, added:

“Who knows where our relationship would be if that hadn’t happened?”

Jada also admitted during the interview that the incident served as a wake-up call. She referred to it as the "holy slap" since so many good things happened after it.

Once the news of the interview went viral, Jada was criticized online. Social media users flocked to the comment section of @PopCrave’s post on X to express their opinions regarding the entire incident.

Pinkett Smith's recent remark about her relationship with Will garnared criticism from netizens (Image via X / @WTFCHARLl)

Pinkett Smith's recent remark about her relationship with Will garnared criticism from netizens (Image via X / @tayolaraejepsen)

Pinkett Smith's recent remark about her relationship with Will garnared criticism from netizens (Image via X / @SoyoufoundRi)

Pinkett Smith's recent remark about her relationship with Will garnared criticism from netizens (Image via X / @_TanyaMaraj)

Pinkett Smith's recent remark about her relationship with Will garnared criticism from netizens (Image via X / @MarkisMinaj)

Pinkett Smith's recent remark about her relationship with Will garnared criticism from netizens (Image via X / @terrijoehoe)

Pinkett Smith's recent remark about her relationship with Will garnared criticism from netizens (Image via X / @CartiersSaint)

Pinkett Smith's recent remark about her relationship with Will garnared criticism from netizens (Image via X / @smgiscoming)

Pinkett Smith's recent remark about her relationship with Will garnared criticism from netizens (Image via X / @Emi_Concept1)

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Comedian Chris Rock was presenting the Best Documentary Feature award at the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, when actor Will entered the stage and slapped him across the face.

Smith lost it when Rock made fun of Pinkett Smith's hairstyle, joking that he was looking forward to her starring in G.I. Jane 2, which was a reference to the 1997 military film starring a shaven-headed Demi Moore.

Smith then went on the stage, slapped Rock, then went back to his seat and yelled at Rock repeatedly, stating:

"Keep my wife's name... out your F**KING MOUTH!”

Later, after winning the Oscar for his role in King Richard, Will Smith apologized to the Academy, his colleagues, and other candidates in his acceptance speech.