Jada Pinkett Smith has revealed that comedian Chris Rock asked her out on a date before the comedian was slapped by husband Will Smith at the Oscars.
The actress revealed that Rock wanted to take her on a date when he believed she and Will Smith were getting a divorce.
Speaking to People, Jada detailed how her and Will’s relationship with Rock goes far beyond the infamous Oscars slap in 2022.
She said: “I think every summer all the reports would come out that me and Will were getting a divorce. And this particular summer, Chris, he thought that we were getting a divorce”.
“So he called me and basically he was like: ‘I’d love to take you out.’ And I was like: ‘What do you mean?’ He was like: ‘Well, aren’t you and Will getting a divorce?’ I was like: ‘No. Chris, those are just rumours.’ He was appalled. And he profusely apologised and that was that.”
The actress also revealed revealed that she hasn’t spoken to Rock since the Oscars incident in March 2022.
Will struck Chris Rock on stage he made a joke about Jada’s shaved head.
She said: “[Do I have] any desire to talk to Chris? Here’s my desire: I just hope that all the misunderstanding around this can be cleared up and that there can be peace.
“I talk about this in the book, I think that there might be some misunderstanding between Chris and I as far as the 2016 Oscars. I think that he might’ve taken offense, which I meant no harm in offending. That wasn’t my intention. But I do think that there’s a big misunderstanding there.”
The actor, 52, was referencing the 2016 Academy Awards ceremony, when no actors of colour were nominated for an Oscar in any acting category. Jada became a vocal supporter of the #OscarsSoWhite movement and called for a boycott of the award show, which Rock just so happened to be hosting that year.
When asked whether she was offended by Rock’s joke about her shaved head, given that she’s been open about her experience with alopecia, Jada brushed off the comedian’s criticism about her appearance.
“I mean, that’s what comedians do,” she said, adding: “I would just have to say that I am not really here to make any judgement on how people decide to express themselves and express their art. I’ll say that several times I’ve had my feelings hurt, for sure. I’ve had my feelings hurt a lot by Chris. But at the end of the day, too, being in the spotlight, it comes with the territory.”
