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Topics: Will Smith, Chris Rock, Celebrity, Oscars
Ben Thompson
Topics: Will Smith, Chris Rock, Celebrity, Oscars
It was the slap heard around the world.
The aftermath of Will Smith smacking Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars is arguably still unfolding.
Jada Pinkett Smith is now speaking out about what was going through her mind during the shocking moment.
It all kicked off when Rock, who was one of the night's hosts, made a dig at Pinkett Smith's buzzcut look.
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Rock: "Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can't wait to see it."
After this joke, Smith walked onto the stage and walloped the comedian.
Returning to his seat, he then yelled: "Keep my wife's name out your f**king mouth."
Nearly two years later, Pinkett Smith is opening up about what was going through her mind in the moment.
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Speaking to Hoda Kotb, the Girls Trip actor said: "I'm really shocked because, mind you, I'm not there.
"We haven't called each other husband and wife in a really long time.
"I'm like 'What is going on right now? Keep my wife's name out of your mouth?'
"I'm really worried for Will because I don't know what's going on."
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At the time of the slap, there were many people who believed it had all been a stunt to drum up publicity.
Even Pinkett Smith had her doubts about the legitimacy of what went down: "I thought 'This is a skit'.
"I was like 'There's no way that Will hit him'. It wasn't until Will started to walk back to his chair that I even realised it wasn't a skit."
She also revealed that Rock tried to apologise to her in the aftermath of the joke, but she was too dazed to take in his apology.
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This is just one of several revelations about her life being divulged in her new book.
She also opened up about her childhood growing up with two parents addicted to drugs.
This upbringing led to becoming a drug dealer in her teenage years: "I thought I was going to be a queenpin for sure.
"That was my solution at that particular time to survive.
"And it really helped me. But it also put me into a lot of danger and I hurt a lot of people along the way."
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One of the revelations that generated big headlines was her admission that she and Smith had been separated since 2016, although they would not be getting a divorce.