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Nearly two months after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars ceremony, Jada Pinkett Smith has addressed the now-infamous incident on her chat show, Red Table Talk.
The actress first spoke about her alopecia, a condition that causes massive hair loss, and recalled how it served as the key reason behind the 2022 Oscars controversy. She said:
“This is a really important Red Table Talk on alopecia. Considering what I’ve been through with my own health and what happened at the Oscars, thousands have reached out to me with their stories. I’m using this moment to give our alopecia family an opportunity to talk about what it’s like to have this condition and to inform people about what alopecia actually is.”
Pinkett Smith added that she hopes Will Smith and Chris Rock will talk out their differences and reconcile in the near future:
“Now, about Oscar night, my deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile. The state of the world today, we need them both. And we all actually need one another more than ever.”
The Girls Trip star also shared that she and Smith have continued to figure out “the thing called life,” something they have done for the past 28 years.
Looking back into the Will Smith x Chris Rock Oscars controversy
On March 27, Will Smith took the entertainment industry by storm by slapping comedian Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards. Rock initially took the stage to present the award for best documentary feature but decided to address Jada Pinkett Smith sitting in the crowd.
Rock poked fun at Pinkett Smith’s bald head and likened her appearance to that of Demi Moore’s titular character from the 1997 film G.I. Jane. He said:
“Jada, I love ya. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it.”
As Pinkett Smith looked visibly offended by the joke, Will Smith got up onstage and struck Chris Rock across the face. The comedian could then be heard saying:
“Will Smith just smacked the sh*t out of me.”
In response, Smith yelled back at Rock from the audience, asking him to refrain from using his wife’s name further:
“Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!”
Rock then clarified that he was only present at the venue to give the award:
“Whoa, whoa, OK, I hear you. I’m just here to give out the Oscar.”
Sources close to Rock told Page Six that the comedian was “shaken” when he got offstage. However, he refused to press any charges against Smith when the Los Angeles Police Department intervened in the situation.
Insiders also clarified that Rock was not aware of Pinkett Smith’s alopecia before making a joke about her appearance.
Meanwhile, Smith received the Oscar Award for Best Actor for his role in King Richard shortly after the incident and was greeted with a standing ovation from the audience.
The actor delivered an emotional speech while receiving the award and apologized to the Academy and the viewers for his behavior. However, he did not mention Rock’s name in his apology speech.
As the Oscars ceremony came to an end, Smith posted an official apology to Rock on his Instagram, saying that he was “out of line and wrong”:
The Will Smith vs. Chris Rock Oscars slap controversy garnered widespread media attention and saw major outrage, condemnation and debate on social media. In the wake of the incident, Smith announced his decision to resign from the Academy.
In response to the controversy, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ also decided to ban Smith for 10 years. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum stated that he “accepts and respects” the Academy’s decision.
Reports suggest that Smith also lost several film roles due to the situation and later decided to focus on healing and soul-searching. The actor was recently photographed in India, his first public appearance since the Oscars fiasco, and was said to have visited the country for a spiritual meeting.
