Jada Pinkett Smith is opening up about her thoughts during the moment when her husband, Will Smith, slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards.
“I thought, ‘This is a skit,’ ” Jada, 52, tells a news magazine in this week’s issue, while discussing her new book Worthy, out Oct. 17.
“I was like, ‘There’s no way that Will hit him.’ It wasn’t until Will started to walk back to his chair that I even realized it wasn’t a skit.”
At the Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre, during an awards ceremony, Will Smith, aged 55, found himself in a tense moment with fellow comedian Rock, who is 58 years old.
This confrontation ensued when Rock made a joke about Jada Smith’s condition, alopecia, which can result in hair loss and bald spots.
Notably, the night didn’t end on a sour note for Will, as he went on to secure the Best Actor award during the same ceremony.
After the incident, Jada Smith opened up to PEOPLE about her immediate concerns. When she and Will found themselves alone, her first words to him were simple yet filled with genuine care: “Are you okay?”
Will was banned from attending Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences events — including the Oscars — for 10 years in the days following the incident. He has since apologized multiple times for his actions, including apologies to Rock and a confession that he simply “lost it” during an appearance on The Daily Show last November.
