It’s been almost three months since that altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at this year’s Academy Awards.
And while many of us have completely forgotten about the event that shook the world, it turns out, Jada Pinkett Smith has not.
In a new episode of her Facebook Watch show, Red Table Talk, the actress finally addressed the controversial on-screen moment between her husband and the comedian, who targeted her alopecia diagnosis in the on-stage stint.
The episode itself focused on sharing others’ stories on alopecia, while teaching her audience more about the autoimmune disorder. Starting off the episode, Pinkett Smith shared her first official statement addressing the situation, which saw Smith banned from the award show for the next 10 years.
For those in need of a refresher, back on March 27, Rock had taken to the 2022 Oscars stage to present the award for Best Documentary, where he took aim at Pinkett Smith’s recent alopecia diagnosis. Storming the stage, Smith ‘slapped’ Rock across the face, returned to his seat and began yelling, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f–king mouth”. Later that same night, Smith went onto win Best Actor for his role in King Richard.
“Now about Oscar night,” she said as she looked directly into the camera, without her daughter, Willow, and mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris by her side.
“My deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have the opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile,” she said. While she didn’t name Rock in her statement, she added, “the state of the world today? We need ‘em both”.
“And we all actually need one another more than ever. Until then, Will and I are continuing to do what we have done for the last 28 years: And that’s keep figuring out this thing called life together.”
Since the incident, Smith apologised publicly for resorting to violence and removed himself from the Academy, and as we know, he was later banned.
Days after the Academy Awards, Pinkett Smith shared an indirect statement about the incident, through a post on her Instagram. But was yet to address the altercation officially, that is, until now.
“This is the season for healing. And I’m here for it,” the image read.
Joining on the graphics train, Red Table Talk did the same by sharing an image that seemingly addressed the situation.
“Considering all that has happened in the last few weeks, the Smith family has been focusing on deep healing,” the post read. “Some of the discoveries around our healing will be shared at the table, when the time calls.”
Now that Pinkett Smith has officially addressed the incident between Smith and Rock, it will surely (and finally) be behind us all.
