Jada Pinkett Smith has spoken out about the incident involving her husband Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at The Oscars on the first episode of her chat show, Red Table Talk. While she did not elaborate to any great extent, she said the issue would be addressed on the show some time in the future, the Daily Mail reports.
The 50-year-old actress and media personality, known for starring in films such as the Matrix series and Girls Trip, released a written statement at the beginning of the first episode of her season five Facebook Watch series which was released on Wednesday.
Read More: Will Smith banned from Oscars for 10 years for slapping Chris Rock
The statement from Jada read: "Considering all that has happened in the last few weeks, the Smith family has been focusing on deep healing. Some of the discoveries around our healing will be shared at the table when the time calls. Until then…the table will continue offering itself to powerful, inspiring and healing testimonies like that of our incredibly impressive first guest."
It still remains unclear how candid Jada will be about her own life, though she has opened up about personal matters in the past — including affairs — the trailer makes no mention of how her husband slapped Chris Rock during the live Oscars broadcast last month after the comedian made a joke about her buzzcut.
After the slap, Will returned to his seat and screamed, "keep my wife's name out of your f*****g mouth," twice. It was a slap that divided Hollywood and the public, with some insisting he should be stripped of his Oscar and not be rewarded for violence. Even though Jada has not addressed the slap directly, she did share an Instagram post that hinted at her approval, saying, "This is a season for healing. And I'm here for it."
But while Jada has remained relatively silent on the controversial incident, the moment sparked outrage the world over and led to Will being banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years. Two weeks after this year's ceremony, where Will claimed the Best Actor award, minutes after his assault on Chris, the Academy issued the actor with a decade-long ban from all of its events, while issuing a statement blasting his 'unacceptable' and 'harmful' behaviour.
"During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry," the Academy's statement read. "This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short — unprepared for the unprecedented. The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards.
"We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances. We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters and winners for their poise and grace during our telecast."
In a statement on Friday afternoon after the decision was reached, Will told Deadline: "I accept and respect the Academy’s decision." The actor had already resigned from the Academy when the ban was issued. Regardless the trailer for season 5 of Red Table Talk was released on Tuesday which promised 'powerful and healing conversations.' This season, Jada, her daughter Willow Smith, 21, and her mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris, 68, are hosting stars including Janelle Monáe, Kim Basinger, and Kim's daughter Ireland Baldwin.
In preview clips, both Kim and Ireland open up about battling anxiety, while Ireland reveals that she has been in multiple abusive relationships. Red Table Talk, which premieres on April 20 at 9 a.m. PST, will also feature interviews with victims of the Tinder Swindler and Anna Delvey.
But Jada — who appears to have supported her husband, Will Smith, in his attack on Chris Rock at the Academy Awards last month — doesn't say anything about the controversial moment in newly-released footage. The new two-minute-long trailer shows Jada, Willow, and Adrienne sitting down with their guests in several pre-taped segments. They welcome on actress Kim Basinger, 68, and her daughter Ireland, 26, whom she shares with ex Alec Baldwin.
Red Table Talk streams every Wednesday on Facebook Watch at 9am PST.
