Jada Pinkett Smith has finally broken her silence in the #Slapgate controversy at the Oscars, making her first public statement since Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the event when he cracked a joke at her expense.
Taking to her Instagram, Pinkett Smith also spoke about ‘healing’ in a one-line statement that read: “This is a season for healing and I’m here for it.”
While the comments on her post were mostly positive, the same can’t be said about her husband’s apology that he posted on social media 24 hours after the incident occurred and much after pictures of him singing and dancing at the Vanity Fair Oscars After Party went viral on social media.
In his apology, Smith called his behaviour “unacceptable and inexcusable”, while admitting that he “reacted emotionally” over a joke about his wife’s medical condition that Rock cracked on stage; Pinkett Smith suffer from alopecia that is an autoimmune condition which can lead to abnormal hair loss.
Smith also addressed Rock directly in his statement, saying: “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
While Smith had turned off the comments on his post, several on social media still remain divided over whether the actor was sincere in his apology considering he spent most of the night dancing away after winning the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for ‘King Richard’.
During Sunday’s Hollywood ceremony, the glitterati and viewers from around the world were in for a shock when Smith walked onstage and slapped Rock after the comedian made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s bald head. Stunned Oscar attendees and viewers were initially unsure if the slap was part of a skit, until Smith shouted profanities from his seat.
Rock managed to regain his composure long enough to announce the winner of the Best Documentary Feature that went to Questlove, while Smith went on to win the Best Actor trophy minutes later. In his tearful speech, he addressed the incident without naming Rock, while claiming: “Love will make you do crazy things.”
A day later, the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences said they were probing the assault with view to possible sanctions. However, several on social media have also questioned why Smith was allowed to return to the stage despite having assaulted someone.
Rock has yet to make a statement following the incident and it remains unclear whether Smith has privately reached out to the comedian to apologise in private.
