15-10-2023 (CALIFORNIA) Jada Pinkett Smith, the renowned actress, has revealed in a recent interview that she has not had any communication with fellow actor Chris Rock since the controversial Oscars incident that took place on March 27, 2022. Despite the silence, Jada expresses a heartfelt desire for resolution and peace regarding the matter.
In a candid conversation with PEOPLE, Jada expressed, “No, I haven’t talked to Chris.” However, she went on to convey her hopes for reconciliation by stating, “Here’s my desire: I just hope that all the misunderstanding around this can be cleared up and that there can be peace.”
The incident in question transpired when Jada’s husband, Will Smith, took to the Oscars stage and struck Chris Rock after taking offense at a joke made about Jada. Jada, now aged 52 and set to release her book “Worthy” on October 17, candidly acknowledges a potential misunderstanding that may have arisen between her and Chris in connection to the 2016 Oscars.
In 2016, Jada was an outspoken advocate of the #OscarsSoWhite movement, which aimed to address the lack of diversity among Oscar nominees. She called for a boycott of the award show due to the absence of actors of color among the nominations. During that year’s Oscars, hosted by Chris Rock, he made jokes about Jada in his monologue. Additionally, in a comedy special earlier this year, Chris claimed that Jada had advised him to quit hosting the Oscars as a show of solidarity.
Jada concedes that at the time, she may not have fully recognized the pressure Chris was under, and she regrets not reaching out to him with a supportive message. She acknowledges that her actions might have unintentionally hurt his feelings.
However, Jada emphasizes the importance of introspection, stating, “All we can ever do is just look at our part and see where could I have done something that would’ve seemed as if… Whatever misunderstanding might’ve been created, what could I have done to avoid that misunderstanding? The one thing that I think about is that call.”
Jada recalls that Chris subsequently reached out to her in 2016, and they exchanged apologies. She believed that their past differences had been resolved until the events of 2022 unfolded.
Following the on-stage incident at the Oscars, Chris approached Jada, seeking to apologize during a live broadcast where he was presenting an award. Jada’s response was, “I can’t talk about this now, Chris. This is some old s—.” She perceived the situation as connected to the 2016 Oscars and matters that predated her involvement.
Regarding the joke made about her shaved head, given her alopecia condition, Jada maintains a diplomatic stance. She acknowledges that comedians often use personal aspects for humor and recognizes that she has been hurt by Chris in the past. Nevertheless, she expresses the understanding that being in the spotlight entails facing such challenges.
Jada also reveals an intriguing tidbit from her book in which she discloses that Chris once asked her out on a date. This invitation came during a period when rumors of a divorce between Jada and Will were circulating. She clarified that the divorce rumors were unfounded, leading to a profuse apology from Chris.
In a separate interview with Today, Jada disclosed that she and Will have been separated for seven years. She emphasized that while it might not be a formal divorce, they were both feeling exhausted by the pressures they had put on each other, and they have since committed to working through their issues and not allowing a reason for divorce to emerge.
Will Smith, in response to the Oscars incident, has publicly apologized and resigned from the Academy, resulting in a ten-year ban from attending its events.
Reflecting on the incident, Jada initially thought it was a staged skit, as she couldn’t believe that Will had actually hit Chris. She kept her composure and concern for Will’s well-being in the immediate aftermath.
