Jada Pinkett Smith Says Oscars Slap Re-Affirmed Her Marriage to Will Smith After Years of Separation: ‘I’m Leaving Here as Your Wife’

Jada Pinkett Smith has revealed that the Chris Rock-Will Smith slapping incident at the 2022 Academy Awards re-affirmed her commitment to her husband.

During an in-person conversation, presented in partnership with CAA and Vanity Fair, at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York City on Monday night, Jada recalled how she and Will “did some really deep work together” after he slapped Rock on stage at the Oscars ceremony when the comedian made a joke about Jada’s bald head.

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“When I was sitting at the Oscars, it clicked in. As soon as I was like, ‘Oh snap, you hit Chris?'” Jada said. “I was like, I’m riding with you. I didn’t come into this place as your wife, but I’m leaving here as your wife because we got a storm we’re going to have to deal with together. I am not gonna leave your side.”

Jada reflected on her separation from Will Smith for the past seven years. “In 2016, we both were exhausted — pulling at each other, power struggles — and I had to go and really learn how to love myself before I could even identify what love looked like coming from somebody else,” she said.

“I had to really learn that about Will,” Jada added. “I wasn’t entitled to him.”

Jada also shared with the audience that Will — along with their children Jaden, Willow and Trey (Will’s son from his first marriage) — granted her permission to include anything about their lives in her memoir.

“[Will] was like, ‘You haven’t been able to have your authentic voice through and through,'” she explained. “‘I will be comfortable with whatever you want to share, I trust you.'”

Although Will read the book before she gave it to her editor, Jada revealed, “He didn’t change a word. He changed nothing.”

Jada’s new memoir, “Worthy,” will be released Tuesday.

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