While the Oscars aired nearly a month ago, conversation surrounding the event hasn’t slowed down much. This is largely due to Will Smith’s infamous slaps of Chris Rock and the resulting discourse. Now, Jada Pinkett Smith has returned to the Red Table Talk, which opened with a message about what “happened” after the Oscars punch moment.
Late at the Oscars, presenter Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair, seemingly unaware of her struggles with alopecia. This prompted Will Smith to take the stage and slam the comic just before delivering a tearful acceptance speech for the Best Actor award. The fallout for the slap is ongoing and now Jada addressed it in the opening of the new episode of Red Table Talk. The message reads:
In light of what has happened over the past few weeks, the Smith family has focused on deep healing. Some of the discoveries surrounding our healing will be shared around the table when the time calls. Until then… the table will continue to offer itself to powerful, inspiring, and healing testimonies like that of our incredibly impressive first guest.
There you have it. While this first episode starring Janelle Monae, Jada Pinkett and Willow Smith didn’t focus on the aftermath of the Oscar gossip, it seems those discussions will crop up organically in the program going forward. People will just have to keep tuning in and waiting for the family to address Will Smith’s already infamous Chris Rock slap on national television.
Given how much Will Smith’s slap in the face by Chris Rock has dominated the news cycle for the past month, it’s likely been a difficult time for Jada Pinkett Smith’s family. Exactly how the group of celebs are conducting their “deep healing” remains a mystery for now, but the incident clearly had personal and professional repercussions. One can only imagine how tense things are behind the scenes.
Since the Oscars, Will Smith has definitely been dealing with professional fallout. After dropping out of film academy, he was banned from attending the ceremony for a whopping ten years for punching Chris Rock. A number of Smith’s upcoming projects have also suffered setbacks over the past year and it should be interesting to see if/when the youngest Oscar winner will book any new jobs.
While Will Smith has apologized to Chris Rock and left the Academy, Jada Pinkett Smith has been noticeably more withdrawn during the ongoing aftermath of the slap. As such, Red Table Talk’s opening statement is sure to turn some heads. And Smart Money says more people will be tuning in to see if/when the controversy is addressed.
For her part, Jada Pinkett Smith has a number of projects ahead of her, both as an actress and as a producer. In the meantime, check out the 2022 theatrical release dates to plan your next movie experience.