According to New York Post, the history involving Will Smith, Chris Rock, and Jada Pinkett Smith extends well beyond the infamous slap at the 2022 Oscars. In her new memoir, “Worthy,” Jada Pinkett Smith reveals an interesting episode involving Chris Rock.
According to Jada, Rock asked her out on a date a few years prior to the Oscar incident. This occurred during a period when rumors of her potential divorce from Will Smith were prevalent. Jada recounted that every summer, reports would surface about her and Will getting a divorce, and that particular summer, Rock believed it was happening. He contacted her and expressed his interest in taking her out, assuming the divorce rumors were true. However, Jada clarified that the divorce rumors were untrue, and Rock profusely apologized for his assumption.
The trio’s paths crossed again at the 2022 Oscars when Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s clean-shaven head. Smith, angered by the comment, marched up to Rock on stage and slapped him in front of millions of viewers, resulting in a 10-year ban from attending the Academy Awards for Smith. Pinkett Smith revealed that she hasn’t spoken to Rock since the incident and expressed her hope for a resolution to the misunderstanding.
Reflecting on Rock’s comments about her at the Oscars, Jada shared that she wasn’t deeply offended, as she understood the nature of comedians and their role in entertainment. She emphasized that being in the spotlight comes with its share of hurtful moments but acknowledged the importance of not passing judgment on how artists choose to express themselves.
“I think every summer all the reports would come out that me and Will were getting a divorce.”
She continued, “And this particular summer, Chris, he thought that we were getting a divorce,” she continued. “So he called me and basically he was like, ‘I’d love to take you out.’
“And I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ He was like, ‘Well, aren’t you and Will getting a divorce?’ I was like, ‘No. Chris, those are just rumors.’ He was appalled,” Jada recalled. “And he profusely apologized and that was that.”
The memoir also touches upon their interactions during the 2016 Oscars, where Pinkett Smith supported the #OscarsSoWhite movement and called for a boycott. Rock, who hosted the event, joked about her actions in his monologue. Pinkett Smith believes there was a misunderstanding between them during that time, and she expressed her desire to have reached out to him to clarify her intentions and wish him the best. She noted that she might not have fully grasped the pressure Rock was under during that period, and he allegedly called her afterward. Despite their ups and downs, she aims for a resolution and understanding in their relationship.
