Vivica A. Fox doesn’t seem to agree with her Set it Off costar, Jada Pinkett Smith, in a recent statement she made on the infamous 2022 Oscar slap. In a June 1 episode of Jada’s show The Red Table Talk, she took her time to inform the public about the struggles of those who suffer from alopecia. She then also addressed when her husband Will Smith stormed the stage and slapped host Chris Rock for making a joke about her hair loss. “My deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile. The state of the world today, we need them both. And we all actually need one another more than ever,” she concluded, attempting to make peace with the situation.
The clip was shown the next day on The Wendy Williams Show, when Vivica was hosting. Holding back tears, she gave her honest opinion about the touchy subject, having some issues with the way Jada’s words were phrased during her Red Table Talk commentary. “I just wish that we could have had a little bit more accountability and for it to not seem so self-righteous on Jada’s part,” she sternly said.
“Will Smith was defending her honor,” Vivica then added, who starred in the film Independence Day alongside Will. She then expressed concern for her peer’s future, saying “I really felt to be a partner to Will Smith, whose career basically took a crumble that night,” she said, referencing his 10 year ban from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. However, she also seemed to understand both sides of the argument. “Let’s not forget that Chris Rock was assaulted—we cannot forget that—for basically telling a joke that I really felt wasn’t that bad,” she mentioned.
In a powerful statement, Vivica also compared Will to Syndey Poitier, the first black actor to win an Oscar. She then said that “This night was a night of African American and diversity for brown and Black people that now will forever be scarred,” while choking up with heavy emotion.