Jada Pinkett Smith Breaks Her Silence Following Will Smith’s Oscar Slap

All eyes have been on Will Smith after Sunday night, not because he took home the Best Actor prize at the 2022 Academy Awards, but because of what happened about 30 minutes prior. When Chris Rock got on stage to present the award for Best Documentary, he made a quip about Jada Pinkett Smith, which prompted Will to march on stage and hit the comedian before screaming for Rock to keep Jada’s name out of his mouth. The moment was centered around Jada, though she mostly took a back seat to the action aside from producing an intense eye roll following Rock’s joke. Then, on Tuesday, she finally spoke out.

The actress took to Instagram to make a vague statement, posting one sentence on a pink background: “This is a season for healing and I’m here for it.” The post looks like Jada may have stolen it off Khloe Kardashian’s timeline, as it’s reminiscent of the many odd, indeterminate posts the reality star shared while dealing with Tristan Thompson’s public infidelity. They give the poster the ability to say absolutely nothing while still “commenting” on the situation.

Most likely, this is the last we will hear from Jada when it comes to the slap, unless she opts to bring Will and Rock to the Red Table. Will, though, did issue more of a meaty statement on Monday, though his could also fall under the category of a classic Hollywood non-apology. Unlike Jada, though, Will actually referenced the situation, though we can’t really blame him for using the phrasing, “my behavior at last night’s Academy Awards,” as opposed to “when I hit Chris Rock in the face on live TV.” Will then went on the apologize to the comedian, as well as to his King Richard family. “I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us,” he wrote.

Rock has remained publicly silent through it all. The Academy, meanwhile, issued a statement on the matter, condemning Will’s actions. “We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law,” they said. Now, it seems, other than Chris, the only person we’re waiting to hear from is Lupita Nyong’o who must have something to say after having the best seat in the house to the drama.