Jada Pinkett Smith has made her first public comment on husband Will Smith and Chris Rock's confrontation at the Oscars this past weekend.
The Matrix star shared a short post on her Instagram account on Tuesday (March 29) calling for "healing" in the wake of her husband Will striking comedian Rock in front of millions on live television.
"This is a season for healing and I'm here for it," she wrote.
The incident occurred about 90 minutes into Sunday's 94th Academy Awards when Best Documentary Feature presenter Rock made an off-the-cuff joke about Jada starring in GI Jane 2.
The joke has widely been seen as insensitive as it is a reference to Demi Moore shaving her head in the original GI Jane, and Jada Pinkett Smith has been open about her struggles with alopecia since 2018.
Will Smith left the audience to confront Rock onstage, struck him in the face and then returned to his seat where he twice warned the comedian to "keep [his] wife's name out your f**king mouth".
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The situation was only made more awkward minutes later when Smith received a standing ovation from the live crowd as he won Best Actor for his performance in King Richard.
On stage, he said: "I look like the crazy father, just like they said about [his character] Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things."
The following morning, Smith posted a public apology to Rock on Instagram, writing: "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behaviour at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable.
"Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada's medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally."
The Academy has condemned Smith's "actions" as part of a "formal review" into the incident.
Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes hosted the 94th Academy Awards from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, airing live in the US on ABC and in the UK on Sky Showcase and Sky Cinema Select.
Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
