A new video shows Jada Pinkett Smith’s reaction to her husband Will Smith’s actions at the 2022 Academy Awards. Chris Rock made a joke comparing Jada’s appearance to Demi Moore’s shaved head in the film G.I. Jane. Jada, who has been open about her hair loss from alopecia, looked clearly unamused, rolling her eyes. Meanwhile, Will seemed to be laughing at the joke until the camera cuts to him striding up the stage and slapping Chris Rock across the face.
New Video Shows Jada Pinkett Smith’s Reaction to the Slap
In the newly released clip taken from behind the Smiths’ seats, Will walks back to his table as Rock says to the audience, “Will Smith just smacked the s— out of me”. Jada looked like she laughed at this line with the rest of the audience. Now sitting, Will shouts out, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—ing mouth.”
Rock replies, “Wow, dude, it was a G.I. Jane joke,” and Will repeats, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—ing mouth!” Then Rock says, “I’m going to, okay?” Then he finishes with, ““That was the … greatest night in the history of television,” and it looks like Jada and the audience laughed again. [1]
Most comments on the video deride Jada Pinkett Smith, accusing her of controlling her husband and staging the slap for attention. Others shame Will Smith for slapping and shouting at Chris Rock over a joke.
“And the man gets an Oscar for Best Actor right after this. More good acting Will. And two faced Jada after laughing about it all, should have told Will to calm down and that it was just a joke after cussing Chris out.”
However, others thought the clip didn’t prove much since she could have been laughing at Rock’s comedic response or from the awkwardness of the situation. “What am I looking at except for the fact that she laughed when Chris said ‘Will just slapped the s*** out of me!’
Others questioned the heads of the Oscars. “So does this mean every time an overpaid actor gets their feathers ruffled by a joke, they can now stroll up on stage & attack a performer? Should be interesting to see how The Board members if the Oscars handle this.”
Read: Here’s What Went Down Immediately After Will Smith and Chris Rock’s Confrontation at the Oscars
The Aftermath of the Oscars
The Academy responded in a statement saying it “condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show. We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”
A few days later, the Academy revealed that Will was asked to leave after the assault but he had “refused”. The organization added, “We also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
During Will’s speech after winning Best Actor, he apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees but he didn’t specify Rock by name. He spoke about actions for love and protection. “Love makes you do crazy things.” The next day, Will apologized to Rock over social media.
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,” he said in a statement. “I was out of line and I was wrong. Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.” [2]
Meanwhile, Jada Pinkett Smith posted a more cryptic message on Instagram that read, “This is a season for healing and I’m here for it.”
Will Smith Resigns From the Academy
All the while, Chris Rock has declined to file a police report over the incident. Despite doing a few shows after the Oscars, he declined to talk about the incident, saying he’s “still kind of processing what happened” but he will talk about it at some point. “And it will be serious and funny.” [3]
More recently, Will Smith resigned from the Academy. In a statement, he said, “I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film. So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate. Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.”
Academy president David Rubin said they had “received and accepted” the resignation and they “will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct.” As of now, they seemed to have decided not to rescind Smith’s Oscar. [4]
Keep Reading: Will & Jada Smith On Their Unconventional Views On Monogamy — Marriage ‘Can’t Be A Prison’
Sources
- “New Video Shows More of Jada Pinkett Smith’s Reaction to Chris Rock Cracking Joke After Oscars Slap.” People. Jen Juneau. March 31, 2022
- “Will Smith apologises to Chris Rock after Oscars slap.” BBC News. March 30, 2022
- “Chris Rock Responds to Will Smith’s Oscars Slap at Standup Show: ‘I’m Still Kind of Processing What Happened’.” Variety. Rebecca Rubin. March 30, 2022
- “Will Smith resigns from the Academy after slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.” CBS News. Victoria Albert. April 2, 2022