When Hollywood star Will Smith (55, “King Richard”) slapped comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, it was a scandal – for his wife Jada Pinkett Smith it was the turning point in their relationship.
“I knew there would be intense reactions. And that was the moment I decided to stay by his side,” said the 52-year-old on Monday evening (local time) on the British TV show “The One Show.” . “It’s funny how intense situations can make love stronger, and it was a pretty difficult time, but it definitely brought us closer together.”
The couple, who had been married since 1997, had been living “completely separate lives” for years at that point, as the actress revealed in mid-October before the publication of her memoir “Worthy.”
Speaking about the couple’s relationship today, she said: “I would say that Will and I have chosen a relationship that fits what we want and so we had our breakup and then the Oscars came along and we’re definitely on another way.”
Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Oscars after he made a joke about Pinkett Smith. The joke referred to the short hairstyle that Smith’s wife wears because of her hair loss due to illness. Smith later apologized. He was banned from Oscar Academy events for ten years.
After his wife’s memoirs were published, Smith wrote in an email to the New York Times that her revelations had “shaken him up.” She was “more resilient, smarter and more compassionate” than he had previously assumed.
The couple has two adult children, and Smith also has a son from a previous relationship.
