Did Jada Pinkett Rolling Her Eyes Provoke Will Smith's Oscar Slap?
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It’s been four months now since the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony was hosted at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. As well as being a crowning moment for the best achievers in film from last year, the event is now remembered for the infamous Will Smith slap on comedian Chris Rock.
The King Richard star also managed to bag his first ever Oscar on the night, but the accomplishment was largely tarnished by his violent action. He remained mostly mum on the incident in the aftermath, even taking time away for reflection and solace in India soon after.
Perhaps thanks to that period spent in rumination over his misdeed, Smith has finally spoken up publicly about the ‘slapgate’ episode. In a six-minute video that he shared on his YouTube page, he answered a number of questions regarding that regrettable moment.
In the clip, he offers an apology to Rock and his family, specifically addressing the comedian’s brother, Tony and their mother, Rosalie. Tony was especially outspoken in his criticism of Smith for hitting his brother.
Another question that the actor answered was whether he made the decision to attack Rock after a nudge from his wife, Jada Pinkett.
Did Jada Pinkett Ask Will Smith To Hit Chris Rock At The Oscars?
The trouble at the 2022 Academy Awards began when Chris Rock took aim at Jada Pinkett Smith, making fun of her for her bald head. The comedian has a history of dissing the Matrix Reloaded actress, and he was back at it again on Oscar night.
“Jada, I love you… G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it!,” Rock said, referencing the bald character played by Demi Moore in the 1997 box office bomb by Ridley Scott. Will Smith appeared amused by the joke at first, and even laughed out loud before Jada tensed up and rolled her eyes.
It was then that the Independence Day star stood up and walked up to stage to confront Rock. That moment became the talking point for many people, who felt that he only reacted that way because his wife had publicly expressed her umbrage at the jab.
While speaking in the recent video on his YouTube channel, though, Smith strongly refuted this assertion, insisting that he acted of his own accord.
Will Smith Was ‘Fogged Out’ After His Confrontation With Chris Rock
Having taken the extraordinary step he did at the Oscars as his way of protecting his wife, Will Smith appeared to do the same thing in the video. He did this by taking all the blame for the moment on himself, and completely absolving Jada Pinkett of any wrongdoing.
“I made a choice… On my own, from my own experiences, from my history with Chris,” Smith insisted. “Jada had nothing to do with it.”
The 53-year-old also decided to respond to the question of why he took so long to apologize, instead of doing it during his acceptance speech for ‘Best Actor’ on the same evening when the confrontation occurred.
In his defense, he explained that he was still not completely cognizant of everything that had happened. “I was fogged out by that point. It's all fuzzy,” he said, before going on to reveal that he had tried to speak to Chris Rock in person, but to no avail.
“I've reached out to Chris. And the message that came back is that he's not ready to talk,” Smith added.
How Have Fans Responded To The Will Smith Apology?
In the final bit of his apology video, Will Smith addressed ‘people who looked up to him before the slap,’ or ‘those who expressed that he had let them down.’
“I hate when I let people down… And the work I'm trying to do is I am deeply remorseful [while] trying not to think of myself as a piece of shit,” he continued. “So I would say to those people, I know it was confusing. I know it was shocking. But I promise you, I am deeply devoted and committed to putting light and love and joy into the world.”
The video came across as a best attempt by Smith to offer up a sincere apology to the people hurt directly by his actions, and the fans who esteemed him before. By the look of things, though, not everyone is convinced.
“Can’t believe Will was able to nearly perfectly pull off the YouTuber apology video after only 4 months of training,” one sarcastic comment on the streaming platform said. “A very heartful apology to everyone except Chris,” another concurred.
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