Figuring it out. Chris Rock isn’t responding to Jada Pinkett Smith’s pleas to reconcile with Will Smith on her Facebook show Red Table Talk. According to an insider who spoke to ET on June 6, 2022, the SNL comedian doesn’t want to deal with the Smiths amid his comedy tour.
“He’s not concerned with the Smiths at the moment,” the source told ET. “He’s touring and he’s preparing for a comedy special.” The source also emphasized that Rock does not keep up with any Hollywood news and that “he’s focusing on himself.” The source’s comments come months after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 94th annual Academy Awards ceremony after Rock made fun of Pinkett-Smith’s bald head. “G.I. Jane,” he said right before Smith approached the stage and slapped him. “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—ing mouth,” Smith yelled from his seat after the incident.
On June 1, 2022, Pinkett Smith opened up about her thoughts about the infamous Oscars slap. She expressed her thoughts about alopecia in the cold open of Red Table Talk, “Considering what I’ve been through with my own health and what happened at the Oscars, thousands have reached out to me with their stories. I’m using this moment to give our alopecia family an opportunity to talk about what it’s like to have this condition and to inform people about what alopecia actually is.” She then directly referred to her husband and Rock, urging them to reconcile. “Now, about Oscar night, 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 other more than ever. Until then, Will and I are continuing to do what we have done for the last 28 years, and that’s keep figuring this thing called life together.”
Smith publicly apologized to Rock on March 28, 2022, on his Instagram. “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,” he wrote. “There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.” Smith continued, “I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world.”
The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences banned Smith from future events for the next ten years. In an open letter, the Academy announced, “The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards.” The Academy apologized to Rock, the rest of the Academy and the public for the moment: “We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances. We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters and winners for their poise and grace during our telecast.” Smith accepted the ban as he previously resigned from The Academy on April 1, 2022.
Rock, for his part, refuses to acknowledge the moment in his comedy tour. The comedian opened up in his comedy show in Indio, California on April 8, 2022, “I’m OK, I have a whole show and I’m not talking about that until I get paid. Life is good. I got my hearing back.” The Everybody Hates Chris creator only briefly joked about the slap during Dave Chapelle’s show when an attacker hit Chapelle on stage on May 2, 2022. “Was that Will Smith?” he spoke into the mic after helping Chapelle.