Jada Pinkett Smith says she wasn't surprised she was 'blamed' for Will Smith's Oscars slap

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By James Kay

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Jada Pinkett Smith has revealed that she wasn't shocked that she was blamed for the infamous slap carried out by Will Smith at the Oscars.

The awkward incident is one of the most talked about moments in Oscar history because many originally believed it to be a joke.

However, it wasn't a joke and the Men In Black actor had taken issue with a quip uttered by the host, Chris Rock, about Jada.

Comparing the actress to "GI Jane" due to her shaved head, Will was originally seen laughing but the moon suddenly changed when he stormed on stage and slapped Chris across the face.

This is the moment Will Smith slapped Chris Rock:

There were still some people laughing at this point because it definitely looked like a skit, but when Will sat back down and shouted "Keep my wife's name out your f***ing mouth", the penny dropped for most people.

Jada has since caught up with People magazine where she revealed that she was blamed for the slap, but that didn't come as a surprise.

"It was ridiculous in how far it went," the 52-year-old said. "But I also understood at the same time. Considering the false narrative that I had cheated on Will or I was like some adulteress, Will had never done that before.

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The infamous slap happened in 2022. Credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty

"And I think that when we just look at human nature... when you look at the breadcrumbs, people need something to blame. And so people not knowing what was happening behind the scenes, I surely wasn't surprised that I got blamed. But I understood that that's just the human nature of it all."

Elsewhere in the interview, Jada revealed the first thing she said to Will following the bizarre incident.

"I thought, 'This is a skit'," she said, before adding that she asked him: "Are you okay?".

Will subsequent appearance on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah saw him attributing the incident to bottled rage. He also shared his heartfelt apologies to both the Academy and Chris Rock for his “unacceptable behavior.”

But the People magazine interview wasn’t solely about that fateful night. Promoting her upcoming memoir, Worthy, Jada delved deeper into the intricacies of her relationship with Will Smith.

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Jada Pinkett Smith also revealed that Chris Rock asked her out. Credit: Steve Granitz/Getty

Addressing their marital status, she candidly admitted: "We’re still figuring it out." Despite being separated for seven years, the Girls Trip actor shed light on the ongoing effort to nurture their relationship, asserting their deep-rooted love for each other. "We just got deep love for each other, and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us," she elaborated.

Jada also took the moment to share admiration for her children, Jaden and Willow, praising their positive influence on her, said: "My children, they’re little gurus. They’ve taught me a deep sense of self-acceptance."

This revealing interview certainly offers fans a closer look into Jada's life, both personal and professional.

Worthy hits the shelves on October 17.

Featured image credit: Arturo Holmes/Getty