It was voted the most shocking moment in Academy Award history, with Will Smith's Oscars slap of comedian Chris Rock leading to a year of career hell for the actor.
In a podcast with British life coach Jay Shetty on October 16, Jada Pinkett Smith shared the immediate aftermath of her husband's decision to assault Rock, the host of the Awards, on live TV.
The 55-year-old actor leapt on stage and struck the comedian and Pinkett Smith's long-time friend after he made a joke about her, comparing her shaved head to the titular character in the movie G.I. Jane.
"There was a moment when Chris came down to the end of the stage," the 52-year-old actress told Shetty. "And you have to understand, I'm in deep confusion. I don't know what's going on. Because of me understanding the context of Will and I behind the scenes.
"I'm worried about Will. I've never seen that from him. I don't know what's going on. But Chris comes to the end of the stage, and he looks at me deeply, sincerely, and he says, 'Jada, I meant no harm.'
"It was so sincere in his eyes. I'm like, 'that's the Chris I know. That's the Chris I've experienced.'"
Pinkett Smith said she's grateful for the exchange with Rock, especially considering the furor the slap caused and the impact it had on their friendship.
"That's the Chris that a lot of people don't get to see because people just see Chris on stage, doing what Chris does. But I'm glad I had that moment," she said.
"Because, with everything else that transpired afterwards, you know, his Netflix, certain comments and all of that, I could hold on to that sincere moment."
In his stand-up special for Netflix, Selective Outrage, the 58-year-old comedian addressed the slap.
"Everybody knows, yes it happened, I got slapped a year ago—I got smacked by this m***********. And people are like, 'Did it hurt?' It still hurts. I've got 'Summertime' ringing in my ears,'" Rock said, referencing the Smith's 1991 hit.
"Everybody knows what the f***happened. And everybody really knows I had nothing to do with that s***."
Rock discussed Pinkett Smith's affair with August Alsina, which she confessed to during an episode of her talk show Red Table Talk.
"His wife was f****** his son's friend, OK? I normally would not talk about this s***, but for some reason ... [they] put that s*** on the Internet," Rock continued.
"I have no idea why two talented people would do something that lowdown. What the f***? She hurt him way more than he hurt me."
Rock claimed that he tried to reach out to Smith after the affair news broke, but that he ignored the call.
"Everybody called that man a b**** ... and who's he hit? Me," he told the crowd.
"I loved Will Smith, my whole life I loved him. I saw him open for Run DMC ... he has made some great movies. I have rooted for Will Smith my whole life. And now I watch Emancipation just to see him get whooped."
Smith and Rock have previously worked on a number of projects together, beginning with a cameo by the comedian in Smith's sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1995.
Rock and Pinkett Smith also starred together in the animated movie Madagascar (2005) and its sequels, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012).
In an interview with People magazine on October 11, the A Different World actress recalled a phone call with Rock, claiming the comedian asked her on a date amidst divorce rumors surrounding her and Smith.
"He called me and basically he was like, 'I'd love to take you out,'" she said.
"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.'"
In an interview with NBC News on October 11, Pinkett Smith confessed that she and Smith have been "living separate lives" since 2016, but are now working on getting their marriage back on track. The actress' memoir Worthy was released on October 17 and includes titbits about her marriage to Smith and life in the spotlight.
Newsweek has reached out to Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith for comment via email.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
