Is there more to Will Smith‘s motive for getting physical with Chris Rock four years ago?
This rising question looms as the comedian’s recent words brew a connection from a previously unexplored angle about the unforgettable 2022 Oscars moment. The actor’s wife dropped a bombshell revelation years ago, highlighting a romantic attempt made by the comedian.
Will Smith’s hand met Chris Rock’s face after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s condition, alopecia. Since then, the actor has shown remorse for his actions, apologizing publicly and trying to make amends, notwithstanding the ten-year Academy Awards ban.
Rock has disclosed that he has an age-old rift with Tupac Shakur over the women they dated, and this confession flips the switch on the 2022 resounding Oscar’s slap. The comedian shared the details on a recent episode of the “Fly On the Wall” podcast with David Spade and Dana Carvey during the Netflix Is a Joke Week.
Rock was asked to name his top 5 favorite rappers, which he did, including most of the heavy hitters who typically make the Mt. Rushmore of rap, but notably omitted Shakur. When pressed to shed more light on his ranking, the comedian confessed that he had beef with Shakur because they often dated the same woman, and the rapper usually won out.
This revelation is important because Shakur’s most famous girlfriend is none other than Jada, Will’s wife. Although over the years, Jada has vehemently denied dating the iconic rapper, saying they were platonic “soulmates” instead, as reported by TMZ.
Jada Pinkett Smith Previously Shared That Rock Made Moves At Her
This new confession raises the question of whether Rock also dated Jada back in the day, leading to an outpour of overwhelming emotions from Will at the Oscars four years ago. In 2023, however, the actress revealed that Rock had asked her out on a date years ago when rumors of her supposed divorce arose.
She claimed that Rock called her, saying, “I’d love to take you out,” a statement which left her stunned. When she asked where his request for a date stemmed from, the award-winning comedian pointed out that he was shooting his shot because he thought she was getting a divorce from Will.
Jada continued, revealing that she quickly debunked the whispers, which left Rock “appalled” as he “profusely apologized” for his misunderstanding and approach. The Blast reported that, according to the “Girls Trip” actress, Rock also approached her after the Oscars incident to apologize for the joke he made onstage, which ignited the whole debacle.
Jada Thought The Slap Was A Skit
Reflecting on the viral incident, Jada admitted she has a limited understanding of the art of comedy, stressing that she does not judge how people express their art.
However, this understanding does not come with a shield on her feelings, as she previously confessed, “I’ll say that several times I’ve had my feelings hurt, for sure. I’ve had my feelings hurt a lot by Chris.”
The “Red Table Talk” podcast host also shared that in the moment, she thought Will going to slap Rock was all part of a skit, but the reality dawned on her after her husband returned to his seat and yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fu-king mouth!”
The action brought a 10-year ban from attending any Academy Awards for the “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” actor.
Even though the famous couple has yet to divorce, they have been separated since 2016, but still express care and affection for each other.
After the incident, Jada said, “I’m going to be by his side but also allow him to figure this out for himself.”
Did The ‘Bad Boys’ Actor Apologize For His Actions?
Will previously claimed that he reached out to the comedian months after the infamous slap incident to try to make amends for his actions on a personal level.
He also made videos posted on social media in which he accepted his fault and said he was ready to talk it out with Rock. In one of the videos, Will can be heard saying, “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line, and I was wrong.”
On the other hand, Tony, the award-winning comedian’s brother, claims that Will did not reach out to Rock after the incident. He stated that the actor’s claims that he tried to make amends by directly contacting his brother were false.
As shared by The Blast in a previous release, Tony also noted that Will did not contact him to discuss the incident, and he does not think he ever will.
“My phone number has never changed. So, I just thought I’d get a phone call one day like, ‘Ay, let’s just you and I just talk.’ It hasn’t happened, so I guess it’s not going to happen,” Tony said in an interview.
Chris Rock’s Current Love Life Does Not Feature Will Smith’s Wife
It might remain uncertain whether Jada was in Rock’s past, but certainly, she is not in his present. The comedian made headlines last month after he was spotted with a mystery woman in New York City, doubling down on heavy PDA.
The woman, later identified as Simone Henault, was spotted with the comedian during an afternoon outing in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. The pair walked through a park before sitting on a bench where they locked lips.
This cozy outing marked a rare public appearance for Rock, who is known to keep his romantic life out of the spotlight following his divorce from Malaak Compton-Rock in 2016.
Henault is not the first woman rock has been linked to since his status changed to single. He was spotted with popular actress Lake Bell in 2022 and Amber Rose in 2023.
The Blast covered that Rose shut down the speculations shortly after photos of them began circulating online. She stressed that they were “just friends” who simply enjoyed each other’s company.
