On March 27, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars after the comedian made a joke about his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith. Now a month later, Will, 53, and Jada, 50, are focused on moving past the shocking incident. “Right now they’re figuring things out, committing to therapy together and trying to salvage the best of a pretty horrible situation,” a source told US Weekly on April 28.
Will has faced major consequences in the month since the slap. He was officially barred from the Oscars for 10 years in a ruling that came after he had already resigned as a member of the Academy. In a statement obtained by HollywoodLife, the King Richard actor said he “betrayed the trust of the Academy” and is “heartbroken” over his actions. “My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable,” he added.
Jada, meanwhile, briefly addressed the incident in a message on her talk show, Red Table Talk. The show’s first episode of its fifth season included a statement on a silent black screen that revealed the family is “focusing” on “healing.” “Considering all that has happened in the last few weeks, the Smith family has been focusing on deep healing,” the message read. “Some of the discoveries around our healing will be shared at the table when the time calls. Until then…the table will continue offering itself to powerful, inspiring and healing testimonies like that of our incredible impressive first guest.”
The first time that Will was seen publicly since the slap was on April 23. Cameras caught the Oscar winner in India when he arrived at the JW Marriott Hotel in Juhu, Mumbai. Will was all smiles as he greeted onlookers and even stopped to take a few photos with fans. Jada didn’t appear to be with her husband on the overseas trip.
As fans know, Chris got slapped for referring to Jada as “GI Jane” due to her bald head. Jada has alopecia, an auto-immune disease that causes hair loss, but the Everybody Hates Chris star reportedly didn’t know about her condition. Ticket sales to Chris’s comedy show have skyrocketed since the slap, but he still hasn’t addressed the incident.