The world watched in shock as the infamous incident at the 2022 Academy Awards played out: Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock on live television.
The aftermath of that event sent ripples through Hollywood, stirring various reactions. And at the center of this controversy was Jada Pinkett Smith, who recently spoke candidly about her feelings on how the public perceived her role in the debacle.
In an intimate interview with People, Jada, 52, didn't mince words about the backlash. "It was ridiculous in how far it went," she expressed, alluding to the speculation that her past confession about a 'relationship' with singer August Alsina had set the stage for blame.
The misconception was that she had been unfaithful to Will. "Considering the false narrative that I had cheated on Will or I was like some adulteress, Will had never done that before," Jada mentioned, understanding why she became an easy target for criticism.
© NBCPeeling back the layers, she reflected on the human tendency to find a scapegoat. "When we just look at human nature... when you look at the breadcrumbs, people need something to blame," Jada pondered.
She wasn't surprised that she bore the brunt of public blame, but also found solace in the predictability of human reactions. "That's just the human nature of it all," she reasoned.
Will's defense of Jada has been consistent since the controversial night. In a video from July 2022, he said, "Jada had nothing to do with it," emphasizing that his altercation with Chris stemmed from personal history and not Jada's influence.
© ROBYN BECKApologetically, he added, "I'm sorry, babe. I want to say sorry to my kids and my family for the heat that I've brought on all of us."
Jada's admission of her relationship with August had come during a riveting episode of her Red Table Talk series, where she clarified the nature of their relationship and refuted the claim that Will had given his blessings. The backdrop of these intricate personal revelations fueled the narrative after the Oscars slap.
Yet, Jada's initial reaction to the incident was disbelief. "I was like, 'There’s no way that Will hit him,'" she recalled.
© Getty ImagesThe gravity of the situation only dawned on her as she saw Will's reaction post-slap. Her immediate concern was her husband's well-being, and her first words to him after the awards were, "Are you OK?"
Jada's relationship with Chris had seen its share of tension. She recounted their disagreements post the 2016 Academy Awards and the #OscarsSoWhite controversy.
© Charbonneau/BEI/ShutterstockChris had alleged in his Netflix comedy special that Jada had pressured him to boycott the awards. In hindsight, Jada admitted: "I was not really recognizing the level of pressure [Chris] might've been under." She acknowledged that she should have reached out to Chris to express her perspective better.
The aftermath of the 2022 Oscars incident brought Chris directly to Jada. She recalls him saying, "I didn't mean you any harm." But her response was rooted in past complexities rather than the recent slap, "I can't talk about this now, Chris. This is some old [expletive]," she remarked. She believed Chris was alluding to their past issues from the 2016 show and even older issues from the 1980s.
© Bei/ShutterstockHow did Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith meet?
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor met his future wife on set while she was auditioning for a role as his girlfriend. Despite Jada missing out on the role due to her height, Will – who was married to Sheree Zampino at the time – said, "I knew there was something in our energy that would be magic."
Once he and Sheree split, he got back in contact with Jada. "I [called Jada and] said, 'Hey Jada, what's up? It's Will.' She said, 'Hey, how are you doing?' I said, 'OK, are you seeing anybody?' And she said, 'Um ... no.' I said, 'Cool, you're seeing me now,'" he said on Red Table Talk.
© Getty ImagesWhy did Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith split?
Jada made the shocking confession that they had separated in 2016 in her memoir, according to an interview with Today Show host Hoda Kotb. She and Will "decided that [they] were going to live completely separate lives."
"It was not a divorce on paper," Hoda said, to which Jada confirmed: "Yes."
On why they waited seven years to reveal their separation, Jada explained: "I think just not being ready yet. Still trying to figure out between the two of us how to be in partnership, right, and in regards to how do we present that to people, you know? And we hadn't figured that out."
She continued: "I think by the time we got to 2016, we were just exhausted with trying. I think we were both kind of just still stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be.
"I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce. We will work through whatever. And I just haven't been able to break that promise."
Will had also previously made the confession that their wedding was the "first of many compromises Jada would make over the years that painfully negated her own values."
