Inside Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Oscars Evening After Chris Rock Slap
28.03.2022 - 22:05
/ usmagazine.com
It’s safe to say the 94th Academy Awards were a roller-coaster for the Smith family — and not just because Will Smith stormed the stage to slap Chris Rock over his joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.
“Will and Jada were in good spirits upon arrival and on the red carpet, but things seemed tense. Will was not as playful and goofy as he usually is, he was more serious,” an eyewitness exclusively told Us Weekly.
Once the ceremony started, it didn’t take long for the couple to be name-dropped by the cohosts, with Regina Hall poking fun at past comments about them having an open marriage.
“When Regina was bringing up the ‘single’ males for COVID-19 testing, Will gave a small, polite smile, but those around him could tell he did not think the joke was funny,” the source claims. (Smith, 53, was the only actor called up who didn’t join Hall.)
Things took another turn when Rock, 57, joked about Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia, joining the cast of G.I. Jane 2. The King Richard star subsequently hit the comedian and told him to never talk about the Red Table Talk host, 50, again.
“After the slap, Will was being comforted by Bradley Cooper, Denzel Washington and others around him, but Will seemed devastated and very sad directly after,” the eyewitness tells Us. “Will and Jada had a short, but serious conversation as she grabbed his hand for a moment. After Will yelled at Chris, Will’s eyes were tearing up and he was sitting very stiff for the rest of the evening. At first, Will looked to be taking the joke in stride, but after Jada looked visibly upset, Will immediately stood up and took action.”
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum returned to the stage to accept the Oscar for best actor, getting emotional again as he apologized to the Academy