Jada Pinkett Smith is reflecting on the relationship between husband Will Smithand Chris Rock, two months after Will struck the comedian in the face at the 2022 Academy Awards.
At the beginning of Wednesday’s Red Table Talk, Jada, 50, said into the camera, “About Oscar night. My deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile.”
“With the state of the world today, we need ’em both, and we all actually need one another more than ever,” the Girls Trip actress continued.
“Until then, Will and I are continuing to do what we have done for the last 28 years — and that’s [to] keep figuring out this thing called life together. Thank you for listening,” Jada concluded.
Wednesday’s new episode explores people’s stories of living with alopecia, a condition Jada has openly struggled with. On Oscars night, Rock joked about Jada’s shaved head, which led to Will walking onstage and striking the comedian.
Will, 53, was banned from future ceremonies and related events for 10 years by the Academy for slapping Rock, 57, onstage during the March ceremony after the comedian made a joke about Jada’s shaved head.
Since the incident, Will — who went on to win Best Actor for his performance in King Richard — has publicly apologized to Rock, saying that he “reacted emotionally” because the “joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear.” (Jada has been open about living with alopecia, and the condition is a topic of discussion on Wednesday’s RTT.)
The former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star also resigned from the Academy. Will then traveled to India to practice yoga and meditation, a source told PEOPLE last month.
Two days after the incident, Jada broke her silence on social media with a message on her Instagram grid that read, “This is a season for healing and I’m here for it.”
Jada previously said she and her family will discuss the fallout of Will’s Oscars incident eventually on her talk show when the time is right.
In a message at the beginning of the season 5 premiere episode of Red Table Talk last month, she said in a statement, “Considering all that has happened in the last few weeks, the Smith family has been focusing on deep healing. 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 incredibly impressive first guest (Janelle Monáe). Thanks for joining us, Jada,” her statement read, in conclusion.
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