Jada Pinkett Smith has broken her silence.
The actress shared a short-but-sweet-and-rather-telling message on Instagram late Tuesday, about 48 hours after her husband struck Chris Rock on stage at the Academy Awards.
We still can’t believe Will Smith did that.
Just totally insane.
Wrote Jada on Instagram, making what we’d have to imagine is a reference to the stunning incident:
“This is a season for healing and I’m here for it.”
During the 2022 Oscars ceremony, Rock — while on stage as a presenter for Best Documentary — poked fun at Pinkett Smith, who was sitting in the crowd with a shaved head.
“Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it, all right?” said Rock.
In response, Will Smith got out of his seat… walked up to Rock… and slapped him across the left cheek.
“Wow, Will Smith just smacked the s–t out of me!,” Rock exclaimed as the 52-year-old actor went back to his seat.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum (who won his first-ever Best Actor trophy just over a half hour later) then screamed twice at the comedian:
“Keep my wife’s name out of your f–king mouth.”
Jada’s statement, meanwhile, came after Will Smith issued an apology on Monday, writing:
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive.
“My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable.
“Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.”
Jada, it should be noted here, suffers from autoimmune disorder alopecia, which attacks hair follicles resulting in bald spots and hair loss.
According to various sources, Rock was unaware of this condition when he made his joke.
The comedian, who hosted the 2016 Oscars and also mocked Pinkett Smith during his monologue at that time, has not yet commented on Smith’s shocking attack.
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,” the King Richard star continued in his statement on Monday evening.
“I was out of line and I was wrong.
“I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be.
“There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
Pinkett Smith, for her part, has been open about her diagnosis of alopecia.
The Red Table Talk host first revealed she had this disorder on a May 2018 episode of her Facebook Watch series, referring to the experience as “terrifying when it first started.”
“I was in the shower one day and had just handfuls of hair in my hands and I was just like, ‘Oh my god, am I going bald?” she recalled.
“It was one of those times in my life where I was literally shaking in fear…That’s why I cut my hair, and why I continue to cut it.”
In July 2021, Pinkett Smith shaved her head completely after receiving inspiration from daughter Willow Smith, who typically rocks a bald look.
The actress took to social media months later to show off a bald line that had grown in the middle of her head.
“Y’all know I’ve been struggling with alopecia and just all of a sudden one day, look at this line right here. Look at that,” she said in a video posted to Instagram just this past December.
“It just showed up like that and this is going to be a little bit more difficult to hide, so I thought I’d just share it so y’all are not asking any questions.”
As for Will Smith, who will not be charged with any crime, he concluded his mea culpa as follows:
“I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world.
“I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family.
“I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.”