Jada Pinkett Smith reveals Chris Rock approached her after Oscars slap, told her he 'meant no harm'

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By James Kay

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Jada Pinkett Smith has revealed what happened in the aftermath of the infamous Oscars slap.

During the ceremony in 2022, Chris Rock, who was hosting the evening, did what most hosts of the Oscars do and roasted people in the audience.

His attention soon turned to Jada where he made a joke about her shaved head, referring to her as "GI Jane".

Despite initially laughing at the joke, Will Smith clearly took issue as he stormed on stage and slapped Chris across the face, before famously shouting from his seat: "Keep my wife's name out your f***ing mouth".

This is the moment Will Smith slapped Chris Rock:

It was all incredibly awkward, especially because Will then had to return to the stage later that evening to collect an award for his work in King Richard.

But there must have been some sort of conversation about it, right?

Well, Jada has since spoken to Today where she has revealed what went down that fateful night, and how Chris approached her after the event.

"Chris looks to me and he says, 'Jada, I meant no harm'," she told Hoda Kotb. "I'm just out of it because I'm really worried about Will. And Will's still talking. Now he’s mad because Chris is talking to me.

"And I go, 'Chris, this is about some old s***.' That’s all I could think of saying, right? And I couldn’t really take in his apology."

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Jada Pinkett Smith revealed what happened after the infamous slap. Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty

This adds to the claim that Chris had previously asked her out on a date when he thought she was getting a divorce from Will.

In her conversation with People, Jada shared the details of Chris' unexpected advance, saying: "I think every summer all the reports would come out that me and Will were getting a divorce. And this particular summer, Chris, he thought that we were getting a divorce. So he called me and basically he was like, 'I'd love to take you out.' And I was like, 'What do you mean?'"

She continued: "He was like, 'Well, aren't you and Will getting a divorce?' I was like, 'No. Chris, those are just rumors.' He was appalled. And he profusely apologized, and that was that."

Jada also explained she and Will have been secretly separated for seven years, implying that during the notorious Oscars incident in 2022, the couple was already living apart.

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Jada revealed that she and Will have been separated for seven years. Credit: Jeff Kravitz/Getty

Addressing the incident, Jada expressed: "We've been doing some really heavy-duty work together. We just got deep love for each other, and we are going to figure out what that looks like."

Throughout her interview, Jada also extended her appreciation to her children, acknowledging their profound impact on her life. She referred to them as "little gurus" who have taught her the importance of self-acceptance, noting: "They love every part of me."

Featured image credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty