Jada Pinkett-Smith Opens Up About Will Slapping Chris Rock At The Oscars During A Red Table Talk. But What Happens Next For Those Involved?
It was called "The Slap Heard Around The World."
Forever tainting the clean-cut persona Will Smith had fashioned for himself over his storied career, at the 2022 Oscars, he acted out of rage, slapping comedian Chris Rock over a joke he made about Jada Pinkett-Smith's shaved head during a monologue. Little has been heard other than apologies from the Smith camp until now.
On This Wednesday's episode of Jada's Red Table Talk, the actress - who suffers from a condition called alopecia, which causes premature hair loss - discusses the events of that night, how her ailment has affected so many, and how it is time to begin healing.
Her hope with the episode is to reflect on the pain of being made fun of, while also bridging the gap between the two actors. In the episode Jada says,
"About Oscar night: My deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile. With the state of the world today, we need 'em both, and we all actually need one another more than ever."
On the show, she shared not only her experiences with alopecia, but how others who have contacted her with their own stories have dealt with it.
Since the incident, Smith has apologized for his outburst, admitting that he "reacted emotionally" when he slapped Rock, explaining that the "joke about Jada's condition was too much for me to bear." Trying to find a better way to deal with his anger, he has traveled to India to study meditation and yoga.
Many felt the slap and lack of repercussions, which only involved Smith being banned from The Oscars for 10 years, set a bad precedent for audience behavior when it comes to being the target of comedians. These fears became a reality when Dave Chappelle was tackled by an armed spectator during a set at the Hollywood Bowl earlier this month.
Jada concluded her show with this sentiment,
"And Until then, Will and I are continuing to do what we have done for the last 28 years - and that's [to] keep figuring out this thing called life together. Thank you for listening."
That's all well and good, but the question still remains, what happens next? Can fans and Chris Rock move past the events of that evening and what will be the outcome for Smith's career going forward?
